EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta is investing $33.7 million in 13 projects through Emissions Reduction Alberta’s (ERA) Reshaping Energy Systems funding competition. These projects, valued at approximately $88 million in public and private investment, focus on technologies that will reduce emissions and contribute to a more flexible and sustainable energy grid in Alberta.
Projects are focused on expanding Alberta’s hydrogen fueling station infrastructure, studying the feasibility of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs), using ultrasonic sensors and Artificial Intelligence to predict power line failures, and more. All funding is sourced from the Government of Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund.
“We are investing in innovative energy projects that will make Alberta’s power grid more reliable, lower emissions and grow the economy, while helping bring Alberta’s energy systems into the 21st century.”
Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.
“This investment supports the modernization of Alberta’s energy systems, allowing us to demonstrate new technologies that will improve the competitiveness and efficiency of Alberta’s energy systems and reduce our emissions.”
Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta
The funding amounts range from $500,000 to $6.5 million, and each project will be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed within Alberta. This significant investment will advance technologies focused on the transport, distribution, storage, and optimization of energy use to reduce emissions, create economic opportunities, and enable a more resilient, efficient, and reliable energy system.
If successful, these projects are estimated to deliver annual GHG reductions of 119 thousand tonnes, cumulative reductions of almost 580 thousand by 2030 and 2.7 million tonnes by 2050. This funding is also expected to create 830 person-year jobs in Alberta and have a $125 million GDP impact in the province by 2025.
Projects include:
AltaLink Investment Limited Partnership
Evaluating the implementation of a first-of-kind large-scale transmission battery energy storage system to the Alberta electric grid.
ERA Funding: $1,500,000 | Project Cost: $3,000,000
Atlas Power Technologies, Inc.
Combining a supercapacitor-based energy storage system (SC-ESS) with a hydroelectric generating facility in Alberta, to provide fast responding reliability services to Alberta’s power grid.
ERA Funding: $6,500,000 | Project Cost: $14,102,261
Cable Coatings Limited T/A AssetCool
Applying a cooling coating to overhead electric power lines that reduces the lines’ temperature, increases their energy capacity, and avoids the need for line upgrades or expansions.
ERA Funding: $504,649 | Project Cost: $1,009,298
Crux Operations Control Management Limited
Piloting two software products that autonomously adjust oil and gas pipeline operations to optimize energy usage.
ERA Funding: $1,500,000 | Project Cost: $3,000,000
CRWN.ai
Using ultrasonic sensors and Artificial Intelligence to predict failures on the most remote electric power lines before they happen.
ERA Funding: $785,000 | Project Cost: $1,622,914
Graph Energy Inc.
Boosting fuel efficiency and lowering GHG emissions with graphene ultracapacitor energy storage for diesel and natural gas generators.
ERA Funding: $2,512,650 | Project Cost: $5,025,300
HTEC Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation
Developing a high-capacity hydrogen fueling station in Crossfield, AB, enabling an initial fleet of over 25 hydrogen fuel cell trucks to serve southern and central Alberta.
ERA Funding: $2,062,500 | Project Cost: $8,250,000
Landmark Group of Companies
Connecting a group of highly energy-efficient solar + storage homes to become a virtual power plant that will improve the resiliency of the electrical grid and enable the wide adoption of net zero homes.
ERA Funding: $3,303,300 | Project Cost: $6,874,600
Onboard Dynamics
Launching a system in Alberta for capturing and recovering natural gas during pipeline maintenance operations, thereby preventing methane releases into the atmosphere and providing a sustainable alternative to the conventional methods of venting and flaring natural gas.
ERA Funding: $515,000 | Project Cost: $1,030,000
Telsec Property Corporation
Combining geoexchange district heating, solar PV, and intelligent controls to decarbonize multi-family homes.
ERA Funding: $2,125,000 | Project Cost: $5,512,500
TERIC Power Ltd. – eLab Battery Project (Keyera)
Installing a 10 megawatt battery technology at Keyera’s Alberta EnviroFuels plant in Edmonton to provide energy storage and reliability benefits to both the industrial facility and the Alberta grid.
ERA Funding: $6,449,326 | Project Cost: $19,205,410
TERIC Power Ltd. – Fluiditi Battery Storage Project
Delivering cost competitive and reliable power with reduced GHG emissions, through time-shifting renewable energy generation, and providing grid operating services to the Alberta Electric System Operator.
ERA Funding: $5,271,500 | Project Cost: $18,210,000
X-energy Canada
Conducting an initial feasibility study regarding the potential benefits of deploying a small modular nuclear reactor at a repurposed fossil fuel power plant site.
ERA Funding: $623,152 | Project Cost: $1,277,790
“We are grateful for the strategic backing from the Government of Alberta and ERA. This funding is essential in advancing Alberta’s hydrogen transportation sector and is a crucial step for Canada to achieve its net-zero goals. HTEC’s hydrogen station will connect Alberta to the growing hydrogen hubs in BC and the Pacific Northwest, propelling the deployment of hydrogen in North America.”
Colin Armstrong, President and CEO, HTEC
“This partnership with Emissions Reduction Alberta marks a significant step forward for clean energy technologies in the province. We are pleased to work with TransAlta, a leader in power production, innovation, and sustainability, to evaluate how X-energy can support the province’s climate goals. Alberta’s tradition of energy innovation combined with our advanced nuclear technology offers a powerful solution to reducing emissions while increasing reliable baseload generation capacity and supporting the region’s key economic drivers.”
Benjamin Reinke, Vice President for Global Business Development, X-energy
“TransAlta is excited to work with Emissions Reduction Alberta and our project partners to explore how X-energy’s innovative small modular reactor technology can potentially augment TransAlta’s existing sites and assets to deliver clean, reliable heat and power to our customers at competitive rates and without emissions from fossil fuels”
Blain van Melle, EVP of Commercial & Customer Relations, TransAlta
“We are excited to collaborate with TransAlta Corporation, one of the largest independent power producers in Canada, and ERA, whose mandate is to reduce emissions and grow Alberta’s economy. This opportunity to accelerate the development and adoption of an innovative technology solution is a demonstration of shared vision, expertise, and a commitment to pioneering new solutions.”
Mitchell Miller, CEO and Founder, Atlas Power
“We are excited to be working with Atlas on this project with support from ERA. We are eager to be part of this first-of-its-kind technology deployment, and to continue exploring ways we can further enhance the capabilities of our assets with new technologies to meet the needs of Alberta’s electricity grid.”
Blain van Melle, EVP of Commercial & Customer Relations, TransAlta
“To meet global energy transition goals, the unit cost and project timelines for increasing transmission and distribution capacity need to be substantially improved. With support from the Government of Alberta and ERA, AssetCool is piloting a radically new approach to increasing the capacity of existing overhead lines. This project exemplifies the crucial role of government support in catalyzing transformative approaches to complex challenges.”
Dr. Niall Coogan, CEO, AssetCool
“Government of Alberta and ERA funding reduces friction for utilities interested in adopting new technologies like CRWN.ai. Utilities can get the full benefit of CRWN.ai’s tech to identify faulty or degraded transmission lines without the associated cost and CRWN.ai can move closer to wide-scale deployment.”
Eric Miller, CEO and Founder, CRWN.ai
“The efficient development and integration of large-scale energy storage systems on Alberta’s electricity grid is a timely step in continuing to deliver system reliability and affordable electricity for every Albertan. Funding from the Government of Alberta through ERA will support the further study of the important role large-scale transmission battery storage can play as part of Alberta’s electricity grid.”
Paul Lee, Vice President, Projects, AltaLink
“With support from the Government of Alberta and ERA funding, our pipeBOT™ technology enhancements provide significant improvement in enhancing efficiency, reducing emissions, and contributes to a long-term impact on the planet and sustainability for Alberta and Canada.”
Vicki Knott, CEO, CruxOCM
“Graph Energy’s pioneering graphene-based ultracapacitor technology represents a transformative leap forward in energy storage, propelling us towards a future of cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable energy solutions.”
Chris Williamson, Graph Energy CTO and Founder
“Supported by Government of Alberta funding through ERA, Landmark Group and its project partners will implement the first virtual power plant in Alberta and overcome barriers to the wide-spread adoption of net zero homes and renewable energy in the residential sectors.”
Reza Nasseri, CEO, Landmark Group of Companies
“With the support from the Government of Alberta and funding by ERA, we plan to manufacture our GoVAC® MAX System to meet all Canadian requirements, conduct demonstrations in the field with the use of these project funds, and then determine the best path for full commercialization and launch into the province.”
Rita Hansen, CEO, Onboard Dynamics LLC
“Funding from the Government of Alberta through ERA is vital to expanding our pilot program to prove Geothermal/GeoExchange coupled with PVT (photovoltaic thermal collectors) as the sole source of heating and cooling in all types of buildings including single family homes, multi-unit residential, mixed used as well as commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings.”
Richard Van Grieken, Telsec Property Corporation
“As the Alberta electrical grid continues to evolve to the benefit of Albertans, it is important that large load consuming customers participate in this transition. The funding through the Government of Alberta and ERA will assist TERIC Power in proving the eLAB Battery Project at the Keyera Alberta EnviroFuels facility as an instrument to ensure operational stability, and a critical load shaping tool to reduce demand on the grid and GHG emissions.”
Kevin Gilbank, President and CEO, TERIC Power
“TERIC Power’s Fluiditi Battery Storage project is a commercially innovative pilot deployment showcasing the ability for battery energy storage to time-shift renewable energy generation in the market, resulting in reduced emissions, and to support the power grid to the benefit of all Albertans. TERIC is appreciative of the Government of Alberta and ERA’s support and funding of this innovative project.”
Craig Barnes, VP, TERIC Power
Projects were selected through ERA’s competitive review process. A team of experts in science, engineering, business development, commercialization, financing, and greenhouse gas quantification conducted an independent, rigorous, transparent review overseen by a Fairness Monitor.
All ERA funding recipients must produce a final outcomes report shared publicly for the broader benefit of Alberta and other funding proposals. Funding recipients will be required to report on project outcomes, achievements, and lessons learned including GHG reductions, job creation, and other environmental, economic, and social benefits.
*A person-year is equal to one-year of employment for one individual.
For more information contact:
Kevin Duncan
Media Relations, Emissions Reduction Alberta
Cell: 403.431.2859
kduncan@eralberta.ca
ABOUT EMISSIONS REDUCTION ALBERTA (ERA):
For more than 14 years, ERA has been investing revenues from the carbon price paid by large emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions. Since we were established in 2009, we have committed nearly $912 million toward 274 projects worth over $8.7 billion that are helping to reduce GHGs, create competitive industries and are leading to new business opportunities in Alberta. These projects are estimated to deliver cumulative GHG reductions of 42 million tonnes by 2030 and 116.5 million tonnes by 2050.