Round 10 Funded Projects

1. Lead Organization: 3G Energy Corp., Ottawa, ON

Economic Category: Power Generation

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members: 
Frontier Power Systems Inc.
FWS Group of Companies
Vensys Energiesysteme GmnH & Co KG

Project Description:
The current practice of installing wind turbines on steel towers involves the use of massive mobile cranes. This practice is becoming a limiting factor in the deployment of wind farms in Canada – especially in small installations and remote communities where crane use is very expensive or not even possible.  This project will demonstrate a self-erecting 100 metre concrete tower for wind turbines using a slip-forming concrete pouring technique. The turbine components will be lifted to the top using a special gantry crane system built into the tower.

2. Lead Organization: 6N Silicon Inc., Mississauga, ON

Economic Category: Energy Utilization

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members: 
McMaster University
Solar Power Industries

Project Description:
6N's proprietary low-cost silicon purification process provides a revolutionary approach to the production of solar grade silicon for the photovoltaic industry. By converting cheap, readily available metallurgical grade silicon directly into solar-grade silicon, 6N is able to avoid the chemically-intensive and expensive process employed by the semiconductor industry. By significantly reducing the cost and energy consumed to purify the principal material used in the manufacturing of crystalline photovoltaic cells, the project aims to help speed up the adoption and growth of photovoltaic power.

3. Lead Organization: Advanced Lithium Power Inc., Vancouver, B.C.

Economic Category: Transportation

Environmental Benefit: Clean Air, Climate Change

Consortium Members: 
E-One Moli Energy (Canada) Limited
Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc.

Project Description:
Automotive manufacturers have identified advanced Lithium-ion batteries as a strong technology of choice for hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries have twice the energy and power density of current nickel-metal hydride batteries, half the size and weight, and are expected to be lower cost. Advanced Lithium has developed and integrated a complete lithium-ion battery system into a current model hybrid vehicle. This project is intended to advance the company’s existing prototype battery results by building, testing, and demonstrating a production-ready battery pack to automotive manufacturers.

4. Lead Organization: AgroTerra Biotech Inc., Trois-Rivières, QC

Economic Category: Forestry, Wood Products and Pulp & Paper Products

Environmental Benefit: Clean Water, Climate Change

Consortium Members: 
Buckman Laboratories
Innu-Science Canada Inc.
Kruger Inc.

Project Description:
Several of the processes used in the pulp and paper industry to break down wood are problematic because toxic pollutants are released in waste water.  AgroTerra Biotech and their consortium members have developed two enzymes which can withstand the harsh environment of pulp & paper processes and replace up to 30 per cent of the chemicals used.  The consortium intends to demonstrate both the technical and commercial efficacy of these enzymes at a pilot scale.  These processes could benefit from reductions in GHGs, operating costs, and effluent dilution water.

5. Lead Organization: Altek Power Corporation, Kelowna, B.C.

Economic Category: Power Generation

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members: 
Enerkem Technologies
Magellan Aerospace Ltd.
Mashproekt Zorya
National Research Council
Pyromax Inc.

Project Description:
Multi-fuel powered turbine engines are important for distributed power generation, especially for industries which accumulate large quantities of biomass waste. Given the diversity in available biomass wastes, it has been uneconomical to build a separate turbine suitable to each fuel type. The Altek Power consortium plans to demonstrate their interchangeable external silo combustors and new blade coatings to enable the use of a wide range of biomass feedstocks in a standard Altek turbine, thereby making biomass-fueled power generation economically viable.

6. Lead Organization: Biogénie S.R.D.C. Inc., Québec, QC

Economic Category: Waste Management

Environmental Benefit: Clean Soil, Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members:
Biorem Technologies Inc.
Petro-Canada
Petrozyme Technologies Inc.

Project Description:
EnGlobe Corp.’s wholly owned subsidiary Biogénie SRDC Inc. will develop a multi-technology soil treatment facility which will integrate a number of innovative, adapted, and developed processes for the treatment of contaminated soil, sludge, and sediment. This will improve the performance, capacity, and versatility of treatment facilities, allowing them to remediate larger quantities of more diversified and heavily contaminated material, and reduce the use of non-renewable resources.

7. Lead Organization: Early Warning Inc., Montreal, QC

Economic Category: Energy Utilization

Environmental Benefit: Clean Water, Clean Air, Clean Soil

Consortium Members: 
Conestoga-Rovers & Associates - GAP EnviroMicrobial Services Division
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
State of Utah Center of Excellence for Biomedical Microfluidics
University of Waterloo

Project Description:
A key to preventing waterborne outbreaks of dangerous microbial pathogens that cause sickness and death (such as E.coli) is frequent and comprehensive testing. The Biothreat Early Warning System applies a nanotechnology-based biosensor to automatically test for up to 100 specific pathogens in less than 30 minutes, anywhere, and at anytime without the use of a laboratory, technicians, or expensive equipment. The consortium plans to demonstrate that a fully automated system will enable water agencies, testing firms, food processors, industrial plants, hospitals, and tourism establishments to detect and contain pathogens before outbreaks can occur. 

8. Lead Organization: Fifth Light Technologies Ltd., Oakville, ON

Economic Category: Energy Utilization

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members: 
Carleton University
Ellis Don Corp.
Great West Life Realty Advisor
J3 Engineering Research Company Ltd.
Marnoch Energy & Electrical Services Inc.
Ozz Corp.
Siemens Canada Ltd.
Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc.

Project Description:
Building on its success of over 60 per cent energy savings with its fluorescent light dimming system, Fifth Light and its consortium plan to extend their lighting management technology to lighting fixtures such as high intensity discharge and compact fluorescent lamps. This technology is intended to enable the building owner or occupant to control their energy costs, reduce their environmental footprint, and participate in demand response progams.

9. Lead Organization: HTC Hydrogen Technologies Corp.

Economic Category: Energy Exploration & Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members:
Dumur Industries
HTC Purenergy
Milligan Bio-Tech Inc.
Pinnacle Industrial Services
Pound-Maker AgVentures Ltd.
University of Regina/International Test Centre for CO2 Capture

Project Description:
Glycerol is a resultant by-product from biodiesel production. As production of biodiesel grows, the amount of glycerol produced is expected to flood the existing commodity markets. HTC plans to build the first multi-feedstock hydrogen production demonstration project to reform bio-feedstock material such as glycerol into hydrogen. The process is designed to be scaleable from very small to very large plants—with an aim to solve the long standing transportation and storage cost barriers to hydrogen market growth.  

10. Lead Organization: Middle Bay Sustainable Aquaculture Institute

Economic Category: Agriculture

Environmental Benefit: Clean Water, Clean Soil

Consortium Members: 
AgriMarine Industries Inc.
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Middle Bay Limited Partnership
Middle Bay Properties Inc.

Project Description:
The Middle Bay Sustainable Aquaculture Institute project will further explore and demonstrate the use of commercial-scale solid wall containment systems incorporating waste recovery, for salmon aquaculture. This technology has the potential to increase the rearing capacity of the Canadian and global salmon farming industry, by allowing for sustainable aquaculture growth in coastal communities while minimizing interference with marine environments.

11. Lead Organization: Nova Scotia Power Inc., Halifax, NS

Economic Category: Power Generation

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air, Clean Water

Consortium Members: 
Acadia University
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Centre for Ocean Model Development and Application at Bedford Institute of Oceanography
OpenHydro Group Ltd.

Project Description:
The Nova Scotia In-Stream Tidal Generation Project is proposing the installation of an in-stream tidal power generation facility in the Bay of Fundy, home to some of the strongest tidal currents in the world.  In-stream tidal technology uses the energy present in the tidal currents to turn a turbine to generate electricity. The project will conduct comprehensive environmental and oceanographic monitoring, physical and electrical data logging, and operational assessment of a 1 MW tidal turbine connected via undersea cable to the electrical transmission grid. 

12. Lead Organization: NxtGen Emission Controls Inc., Burnaby, B.C.

Economic Category: Transportation

Environmental Benefit: Clean Air, Climate Change

Consortium Members: 
Engine Control Systems Inc.
Mullen Trucking LP

Project Description:
NxtGen Emission Controls is developing the next generation in diesel emission reduction technology using hydrogen, produced from diesel fuel and engine exhaust, to reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions while enabling engine manufacturers to increase fuel economy. NxtGen’s components can be retrofitted onto existing diesel trucks or factory installed on new vehicles.   The project involves retrofitting the emission reduction system onto medium and heavy-duty commercial trucks to validate performance and durability in daily over-the-road operation.

13. Lead Organization: SiREM Canada, Guelph, ON

Economic Category: Waste Management

Environmental Benefit: Clean Water, Climate Change, Clean Soil

Consortium Members: 
Magellan Aerospace Corp.
University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry

Project Description:
SiREM will demonstrate the first Canadian application of KB-1® for in situ biodegradation of chlorinated solvents in cold groundwater and fractured bedrock conditions. Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) are among the most commonly detected soil and groundwater contaminants. To date, other microbial approaches to treating these solvents have had limited success.  KB-1 biodegrades these toxic solvents into non-toxic ethene. This demonstration is intended to show that bioaugmentation with KB-1 can be a cost-effective cleanup strategy for PCE and TCE contaminated sites, particularly under Canadian climatic and fractured bedrock site conditions.

14. Lead Organization: Sonic Environmental Solutions Inc., Vancouver, B.C.
           
Economic Category: Waste Management

Environmental Benefit: Clean Soil, Climate Change

Consortium Members:
Maxxam Analytics Inc.
Ontario Realty Corp.
Sacre-Davey Innovations Inc.
Toronto Economic Development Corp.

Project Description:
Sonic will further develop its patented sonic generator – PCB Sonoprocess™ – designed to treat PCBs by a sodium reaction using sonic vibration energy to convert PCBs into salt and low grade fuel. PCBs are persistent organic pollutants that degrade very slowly and hence can find their way into the food chain. Sonic’s process is a non-thermal mobile solution. This project proposes to demonstrate the cost-effective treatment of PCBs both in contaminated ground water and in a solvent generated from a soil remediation process.

15. Lead Organization: CVT Corp., St-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, QC

Economic Category: Transportation

Environmental Benefit: Clean Air, Climate Change

Consortium Members:
Atelier d'usinage Coté & Audet Inc.

Project Description:
Continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), while starting to appear in the automotive market due to improved efficiency over conventional geared transmissions, have not been adopted in heavy duty vehicles to date due to the mechanical strain imposed by the high torque associated with these vehicles.  CVT Corp. has developed a high efficiency toroidal CVT suitable for the heavy-duty vehicle market. CVT Corp’s system will be tested on a tractor, and should dramatically reduce fuel consumption (as much as 25 per cent) as well as the amount of air contaminants produced.

16. Lead Organization: Terragon Environmental Technologies Inc., Montreal, QC

Economic Category: Waste Management

Environmental Benefit: Clean Soil, Climate Change, Clean Air, Clean Water

Consortium Members: 
Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.
Department of National Defence Canada
Fairmont Le Château Montebello
Pituvik Landholding Corporation
U.S. Office of Naval Research

Project Description:
Environmental and public health concerns have been mounting in northern communities, tourist resorts, and various enterprises due to the increasing challenges in dealing with waste. Terragon has responded to this problem by developing a Micro Auto Gasification System designed to convert mixed waste into carbonaceous ash and a clean gas fuel which can be used to power the waste treatment system and provide additional energy to the user. Terragon will demonstrate its technology in a remote community, a tourist resort, on a naval ship, as well as at its own facilities.

17. Lead Organization: TM4 Inc., Boucherville, QC

Economic Category: Power Generation

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members: 
Clipper Windpower Inc.

Project Description:
Two key issues facing the wind industry are managing the power-to-weight ratio as turbine size and tower height rises; and the high failure rate of mechanical drive trains. TM4 is applying their existing permanent magnet wheel motor electrodynamics machine technology to a mid-size Permanent Magnet Generator. They are demonstrating the advantages of their technology, which features high power density and high efficiency over a wide range of operating speeds. The goal is to reduce total generator weight by at least 50 per cent and volume by 30 per cent, compared to conventional double-fed induction generators. This enables taller, less expensive towers and nacelles, resulting in a wind turbine that can deliver a greater power output.

18. Lead Organization: Turbo Trac Systems Inc., Point Claire, QC

Economic Category: Energy Exploration & Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Air

Consortium Members: 
Lufkin Industries Inc.

Project Description:
Continuously variable transmissions, though available in light vehicle applications, have not been reliable in high torque applications such as oil pumps. Turbo Trac’s technology is a mechanical “traction” device consisting of a number of metal cones, discs, and an epicyclical gear set. The device offers a split parallel power path that can handle the high varying torque and power demand of industry applications and heavy duty commercial vehicles. The project will test the technology on two different models of oil well pumps, first in Alberta and then in Texas.

19. Lead Organization: Woodland Biofuels Inc., Mississauga, ON

Economic Category: Energy Exploration & Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change, Clean Soil, Clean Water

Consortium Members: 
Minas Basin Pulp and Power Company Ltd.
Thermo Design Engineering Ltd.

Project Description:
Woodland Biofuels and its partners will build a unique industrial demonstration facility to efficiently produce cellulosic ethanol from wood waste using Woodland’s patented Catalyzed Pressure ReductionTM technology, which also can be used to convert a broad range of renewable biomass materials into sustainable fuels. The project will field test the new integrated system equipment, determine energy consumption/operating costs, and prove the technology’s efficiency. A steam blown gasifier will produce syngas for cleaning and catalytic conversion to ethanol. Waste heat from the plant will also eliminate the need to use 19,000,000 litres per year of Bunker C oil at a neighbouring paper recycling plant.