NRCAN: Canada Makes Clean Energy Technology Investments
May 5, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
Several initiatives to advance clean energy technology in Canada were revealed at the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy at the University of Calgary.
"Our government is ensuring that Canada is at the leading edge of clean technologies to reduce emissions and adapt to environmental change," said Gary Lunn, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources.
He said $5 million was earmarked for the institute to complete important work in the deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies.
Lunn also announced a call for proposals under two new funds that will accelerate the development of clean energy technologies in Canada. Industry participants can submit proposals in two new areas:
- A $125 million fund to advance carbon capture and storage technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the oil sands and coal-fired electricity plants.
- A $15 million fund to advance the development of technologies that will reduce the environmental impacts of oil sands production, such as tailings ponds.
"This federal support will enable us to advance carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions that help Alberta and Canada reduce greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions," said Dr. David Keith, University of Calgary's Canada Research chair in energy and the environment. "Implementing CCS is one of the best options we have for achieving large cuts in emissions within reasonable costs and timeframes."
The $5 million commitment is intended to ensure the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy can collaborate with stakeholders on outstanding regulatory, economic and technological issues in response to the Canada-Alberta ecoENERGY Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force Report.
For more information on the two calls for proposals and the ecoENERGY Technology initiative, go to www.ecoaction.gc.ca.
Source: Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).