Alberta makes new strides towards a green future

By Kenyon Stronski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Alberta is making moves towards clean energy innovation with their announcement last week of $131 million to be invested into projects to help prevent carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.
The Alberta Innovates Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program is aimed at providing funding to projects that address issues or fund programs pertaining to; oil and gas, hydrogen expansion, partial upgrading, recycling, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
This time around, the funding will be going towards funding Alberta’s Industrial Energy Efficiency and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage program.
“This is an announcement about creating jobs, supporting industry and reducing emissions,” said Premier Jason Kenney.
“One of the main ways we’re supporting these types of investments is through the TIER fund, and last year we announced up to $750 million from the TIER fund for programs that cut emissions, keep industry competitive and create jobs. We’ve selected seven projects thus far to receive $100 million in funding that are game-changers for cutting emissions in Alberta. They will lead to real-world improvements like upgrading engines at a natural gas facility to reduce emissions. They are all incredible initiatives based on home-grown Alberta ingenuity and leading-edge technology.”
The other $31 million will be put towards other carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) projects by the end of this year.
The seven projects include:
Advantage Energy (Glacier gas plant carbon capture and storage and waste heat recovery in Hythe), Ember Resources (Ember Engine Emissions Reduction Program at multiple facilities throughout east/ central Alberta), Imperial Oil (Kearl ConDex full-scale oil sands mine installations in Fort McMurray), NuVista Energy (Wembley Cogeneration and Waste Heat Recovery Project in Wembley), Strathcona Resources (Lindbergh T70 cogeneration expansion in Elk Point), TC Energy (Turney Valley generating station in Turner Valley), and Tidewater Midstream (BRC Integrated Steam Methane Reforming (SMR)-CCS-Cogeneration Project in Cynthia).
Kenney then noted the seven projects will cut 2.9 million tonnes of emissions by 2030 and create an estimated 2,200 jobs. CCUS are able to capture, use and store up to 90 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions produced by industrial facilities.
“This will set the groundwork for a lower emissions future. This is another huge investment that will also reduce emissions while spurring economic growth and job creation.”
Additionally, Kenney said the province is currently a leader in carbon capture but in order to expand they will need the support of the federal government.
“We need the government of Canada to come to the table in a big way.”

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