Sustainable Development Technology Canada to Provide $42.5 Million in New Funding For Canadian Clean Technology Projects

From Tar Sand Oil Extraction to Municipal Solid Waste Gasification, SDTC Funding Will Advance 15 Environmentally Friendly Technologies

Ottawa, October 20, 2005 – Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) will provide $42.5 million in new funding for clean technology projects.

The funding, approved by SDTC’s Board of Directors, will support the development and demonstration of groundbreaking clean technologies and fast-track their progress toward commercialization. Funding for each project is subject to final contract negotiations.

SDTC’s seventh funding round involves 15 demonstration projects, each with strong potential to generate environmental, social and economic benefits. These include an initiative led by Plasco Energy Group Inc. to generate heat and power from the gasification of municipal solid waste in Ottawa, and another by Hatch Ltd., to extract oil from Alberta tar sands in-situ using an improved solvent extraction process requiring up to 95 percent less energy than conventional technologies.

“SDTC is committed to building Canada’s sustainable development technology infrastructure through support for promising new clean technologies,” said SDTC Chairman James M. Stanford. “Much more than a funding partner, we help entrepreneurs connect with partners, formalize business plans and qualify for venture-capital financing.”

The 15 newly-approved projects involve a wide variety of sectors that are core to Canada’s economy including power generation; energy exploration and production; agriculture; energy utilization; waste management; transportation; and forestry, wood products and pulp and paper products.

The private and public sector consortia partners behind the projects are investing an additional $91 million, representing a more than 2:1 ratio of industry-partner contribution to SDTC investment.

SDTC continues to be on track to allocate all of its funds up to December 2010.

"Canada's commitment to the development of clean technologies will allow Canadians to enjoy a better quality of life now and in the future," said theHonourable John McCallum, Minister of National Revenue and Minister ofNatural Resources. "NRCan is pleased to support SDTC as it continues tobring cutting-edge technology to the marketplace."

"The Government of Canada strongly believes that technological advances and innovation are vital tools for achieving Canada’s - and indeed, the world’s - environmental goals" said the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment.  "New technologies will help Canadians reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and improve our air quality, while enjoying the benefits of a productive, competitive and sustainable economy. This is the philosophy behind Project Green, the Government of Canada's broad environmental vision that links Canada’s economic competitiveness and prosperity to a sustainable future.”

Since April 2002, SDTC has completed seven funding rounds, committed $169 million to 75 clean technology projects, and leveraged $446 million from project consortia members, for a total portfolio value of $615 million.

SDTC will launch its next call for Statements of Interest (SOIs) on January 18, 2006. The upcoming call for SOIs will include a request for projects with technologies that address climate change, clean air, and water and soil quality issues.

“The technologies represented in SDTC’s seventh funding round offer significant potential to benefit Canada’s economy and the world’s environment,” said Vicky J. Sharpe, President and CEO of SDTC. “It is gratifying to see a continuous flow of funding applications across all economic sectors, demonstrating SDTC’s ongoing contribution to the Government of Canada’s sustainable development initiatives. The applications we receive are exceptional both in quantity and strength.”

About SDTC

Sustainable Development Technology Canada is a foundation created by the Government of Canada that operates a $550 million fund to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies — solutions that address issues of climate change and clean air, water and soil to deliver environmental, economic and health benefits to Canadians.
 
An arm’s length, not-for-profit corporation, SDTC fills the void in the innovation chain between research and commercialization — helping clean technology developers move through the development and demonstration phases, in preparation for commercialization.  SDTC applies a stringent due diligence process when selecting technologies to support and requires every applicant to involve a consortia of partners in their project.

SDTC encourages collaboration among private, financial, academic, public sector partners and with the Government of Canada and all levels of government to build a sustainable development infrastructure in Canada.
 
For more information, please contact:

SDTC:
Andrée Mongeon
Director of Communications
Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Tel: (613) 234-6313 x 224
a.mongeon@sdtc.ca
www.sdtc.ca

Don Hogarth
Environics Communications for SDTC
416-969-2755, dhogarth@environicspr.com

The listing of the 15 funded projects is as follows:

A brief summary of each project and its consortium members is available at: http://www.sdtc.ca/en/news/media_releases/index.htm

1. Lead Organization: AirScience Technologies Inc., Montreal, Que.

Economic Category: Energy Exploration and Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
Air Liquide Canada, Inc.
Municipality of Dolbeau, Que./ SmartSoil Energie
University of Waterloo

Project Description:
The consortium led by AirScience Technologies Inc. will demonstrate a new process, Terragas, to economically produce hydrogen from biogenous feedstocks such as landfill gas. The project will use two new process technologies under license from Unitel Technologies: one for cleaning landfill gas and the second to convert the clean gas to hydrogen and CO2. The cleaning process will cost-effectively remove trace contaminants from biogas that would otherwise damage internal combustion engines, turbines or an auto-thermal reforming reactor, without having to dry the gas and/or remove oxygen and CO2. Production of hydrogen from landfill gas at a commercial scale would generate an estimated 4-6 times the economic value of electricity produced from landfill gas.

2. Lead Organization: Clear-Green Environmental Inc., Saskatoon, Sask.

Economic Category: Agriculture

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
Ag West Bio Inc.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture and Bioresource Engineering
Clear-Green Environmental Inc.
Cudworth Pork Investors Group (CPIG) Inc.
Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI)
Saskatchewan Research Council
SaskPower
Sinnett Pork Farm Ltd.
University of Saskatchewan

Project Description:
Clear Green and its partners will demonstrate an innovative, three-stage process to treat dead stock and slaughter waste that couples pretreatment, anaerobic digestion and nutrient recovery for renewable energy and fertilizer applications. The technology will demonstrate the ability to extract valuable fertilizer nutrients from digested waste, replacing commercial fertilizer. The goal is to eliminate waste storage and land disposal systems and allow for intensive livestock facilities to be located closer to infrastructure while eliminating concerns over water, air and soil contamination as well as odours.

3. Lead Organization: Dépôt Rive-Nord Inc., Berthierville, Que.

Economic Category: Waste Management

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
Bio-Metha Inc.
Biotechnology Research Institute - National Research Council Canada
EBI Energie Inc.
EBI Environnement Inc.
Gestion Environnementale Econord Inc.
Industries Machinex Inc.

Project Description:
Dépôt Rive-Nord and its consortium partners will demonstrate an end-to-end treatment and transformation process for residual wastes from several sources including municipalities, agriculture, agri-food, and industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) operations. The project involves the integration of existing commercial waste processing technologies to produce recyclable materials such as paper and plastic; biogas (upgraded to pipeline-quality natural gas); and organic fertilizers. The new solution will optimize conventional treatment methods, minimize the amount of waste sent to landfill sites and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Lead Organization: EcoSmart Foundation Inc., Vancouver, BC

Economic Category: Energy Utilization

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change/Clean Air

Consortium members:
Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)
Halcrow Yolles 
Lafarge Canada
Natural Resources Canada - CANMET - Materials Technology
Public Works & Government Services Canada (PWGSC)
Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. 
University of New Brunswick
University of Calgary
Yolles Partnership

Project Description:
EcoSmart and its partners will develop a system that will allow developers, architects, engineers, contractors and material suppliers to optimize the use of supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) by simulating the effects of varying these materials on construction projects. By determining optimal SCM levels, the system will reduce costs along with emissions of greenhouse gases and air contaminants by directly reducing the amount of Portland cement required for construction projects. The system will gather scientific and technical knowledge, experience and intellectual property on SCMs and make it available to industry through a continuously updated, computer-based system.

5. Lead Organization: Envirogain Inc., Saint-Romuald, Que.

Economic Category: Agriculture

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
F. Ménard Inc.
William Houde Ltée.

Project Description:
Envirogain and its partners will develop and demonstrate a fertilizer stabilizing and drying process that uses heat from both a previously commercialized hog manure treatment system (Biofertile ®) and the new process. The new approach converts a cost centre to a revenue centre by taking hog manure that would otherwise require treatment and disposal and converting it into saleable fertilizer, while also reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The project is an example of environmental co-benefits that include soil and water.

6. Lead Organization: Hatch Ltd., Mississauga, Ont.

Economic Category: Energy Exploration and Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
N-Solv Corporation
Nenniger Engineering Inc.

Project Description:
The consortium members will design, build and operate a 2,000-barrels-of-oil-per-day demonstration plant to field test a patented process (N-SolvTM) for in-situ extraction of oil from tar sands using a pure condensing solvent. The principal advantages of this process are commercially attractive oil-production rates with -- when compared to steam injection -- a 90 percent reduction in energy costs and an effective 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to that, the process does not consume any water and produces an enhanced-quality oil product with higher value. The N-Solv demonstration plant will provide the data required to confirm the key technical, geological, environmental and economic parameters of the process. An oil company will host the demonstration plant.

7. Lead Organization: Maratek Environmental Inc., Bolton, Ont.

Economic Category: Energy Utilization

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change/Clean Air

Consortium members:
Fuji Hunt Chemicals
Omega Recycling

Project Description:
A consortium led by Maratek Environmental will build a world’s-first demonstration project that will recover and reuse the solvent in dirty print shop towels, thereby eliminating an environmental liability, reducing disposal costs and creating a revenue stream from the recycled solvent. Maratek's process utilizes a volatile organic compound (VOC) removal system that removes over 95 percent of the used solvent from dirty shop towels and then recycles the towels. The process will incorporate a next-generation solvent distillation system that recovers most of the waste solvent for reuse and enhanced waste water treatment.

8. Lead Organization: Netistix Technologies Corporation, Ottawa, Ont.

Economic Category: Transportation

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change/Clean Air

Consortium members:
Automotive Industries Association of Canada
Carleton University
Jacques Whitford
Petro-Canada Certigard

Project Description:
A consortium led by Netistix Technologies Corporation seeks to deliver a low-cost vehicle monitoring and information system. It targets consumers who wish to reduce emissions, fuel, and lifecycle costs, while improving vehicle reliability and safety. The system will indicate real situations when driving behaviours are inefficient, resulting in more fuel use, or when maintenance is required. The system analyzes both vehicle and driver behaviour data and provides reporting mechanisms to consumers on their driving history. An education program will be developed to inform consumers where improvements can be made to reduce fuel consumption and operating costs. Other key elements of the project are the development of a low-cost, compact in-car device to collect vehicle and driver data, driver behaviour and vehicle performance algorithms, secure communications, and a scaleable system design.

9. Lead Organization: Nexterra Energy Corp., Vancouver, BC

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

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change/Clean Air

Consortium members:
Pulp & Paper Research Institute of Canada (PAPRICAN)
A major integrated pulp and paper producer

Project Description:
Nexterra and its partners will install a full-scale biomass (wood waste) gasification system that will be used to heat an existing lime kiln at a pulp mill in western Canada. The direct firing of the synthetic gas - utilizing a dual fuel (syngas/natural gas) burner nozzle - will potentially enable lime kilns to convert their energy feedstock from fossil fuels to gas produced from their own wood residue, thereby reducing energy costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

10. Lead Organization: Outland Technologies Inc., Calgary, Alta.

Economic Category: Energy Utilization

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
BP Canada Inc.
Braeside Fabricators Inc.
Cojo Technology Inc.
Crimtech Services Inc.
L.O.P. Omnitech Inc.
Single Buoy Moorings Inc.
Zed.i.solutions Inc.

Project Description:
Outland Technologies, Inc., in conjunction with its partners, will develop and demonstrate a new technology capable of generating electricity with reduced emissions using waste energy at gas pressure let-down sites (sites where gas pressure is deliberately reduced for processing or to facilitate safe distribution to customers). The “rotary positive displacement” (or CvR™) technology will achieve the same result as a piston but in rotary motion, allowing for significantly higher output relative to size. The project will involve the demonstration of CvR Technology coupled with 20kW and 400kW electricity generators, the combination of which Outland refers to as a “Power Recovery Generator.” The technology represents a new operational principle for piston devices with numerous applications including rotary positive displacement pumps and possibly engines.

11. Lead Organization: Petroleum Technology Research Centre, Regina, Sask.

Economic Category: Energy Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
Canadian Natural Resources Limited
Husky Energy Inc.
Nexen Inc.

Project Description:
The Petroleum Technology Research Centre and its partners will develop, demonstrate and evaluate a more environmentally sensitive and energy-efficient enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process for heavy oil reservoirs in western Canada. The technology uses a solvent vapour extraction process instead of steam to recover the heavy oil, reducing CO2 emissions and fresh water use by over 90 percent.

12. Lead Organization: Plasco Energy Group Inc., Ottawa, Ont.

Economic Category: Power Generation

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
Ameresco U.S.
City of Ottawa
HERA Holdings S.L.

Project Description:
Plasco and its partners will demonstrate a Plasma Gasification Process that will economically convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into synthetic gas, inert solid material and heat. The heat and gas will be utilized in a combined cycle co-generation power plant to produce electricity for sale into the electricity grid. Plasco has developed an economically viable means of treating MSW that reduces the environmental impact compared with current disposal methods such as landfill. The project will process up to 75 tonnes/day of MSW at Ottawa’s Trail Road landfill site and generate a net 4 megawatts of electricity for sale to the grid. The City of Ottawa will provide a site and related services for the demonstration project while Hydro Ottawa will facilitate its integration into the grid.

13. Lead Organization: Power Diagnostic Technologies, New Westminster, BC

Economic Category: Energy Exploration and Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members and principal supporters:
Alberta Research Council
Accura Embedded Systems Inc.
Cantronic Systems Inc.
BP Canada Energy Company
BP North America
Interay BV
Dr. Mark Rockley, Oklahoma State University
Opgal Optronic Industries Ltd.
Public Works & Government Services Canada

Project Description:
The consortium led by Power Diagnostic Technologies Ltd. will develop a portable leak detection and repair (LDAR) technology to detect and image gas leaks in confined spaces such as refineries and natural gas processing plants. The new gas imaging detection system will be capable of detecting and imaging leaking gases such as methane. The system will be a light, hand-held and highly portable device engineered for LDAR inspectors. A module to calibrate the rate of a detected leak will also be developed. If successful, this tool will enable the petrochemical industry to find leaks more efficiently, accurately and cost-effectively, with the industry-requested feature of calibrating the leak rate of fugitive emissions in compliance with the new regulatory climate.

14. Lead Organization: SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation, Saskatoon, Sask.

Economic Category: Energy Exploration and Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change/Clean Air

Consortium members:
Clean 16 Environmental Technologies Corp.
Giffels Associates Limited (An Ingenium Group Company)
University of Toronto - Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry

Project Description:
The consortium led by SHEC LABS will demonstrate hydrogen production using solar energy, featuring the world’s first commercial-scale renewable solar hydrogen “Dry Fuel Reformation” (DFR) reactors, unique solar concentrator designs and “Direct Water Splitting” (DWS) technologies. Natural gas will be used initially to verify the performance of the DFR systems, with the ultimate goal of testing the complete DFR process using landfill gas (methane) at the project’s location, the City of Regina Fleet Street landfill. Currently, steam reformation of fossil fuels is responsible for 95 percent of the world’s hydrogen production. A key project objective is to demonstrate that SHEC LABS’ technology can be cost-competitive with steam methane reformation as well as dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants. SHEC LABS’ solar hydrogen production will provide a net energy gain when converting methane into hydrogen since the energy used to drive the process is harvested from the sun. The technology is particularly attractive for smaller and distributed production of hydrogen at end-user sites, but could also be applicable for large-scale hydrogen production in the future. The DWS technology, the next generation of solar hydrogen production, will also be demonstrated on a smaller scale and will involve direct water splitting with only water as the primary feed component.

15. Lead Organization: Vaperma Inc., Ste-Foy, Que.

Economic Category: Energy Exploration and Production

Environmental Benefit: Climate Change

Consortium members:
Commercial Alcohols Inc.
NRCan/CANMET—TEAM

Project Description:
The consortium led by Vaperma will develop and demonstrate an advanced dehydration process for the biofuel industry using an innovative polymer membrane to separate water vapour from organic compounds such as ethanol. The process offers increased energy efficiency –  reducing energy costs by up to 40 percent – lower greenhouse gas emissions, easy integration into any fuel-grade ethanol process, modularity, flexibility, simple operation and low maintenance. Applications for the technology include gas separation in the chemical, petrochemical and natural gas processing industries.  Vaperma has teamed up with Canada's largest producer of ethanol, Commercial Alcohols Inc. to prove the technology prior to industrial-scale commercialization.