In the face of economic uncertainty, diversifying carbon capture technology will help keep Canada’s industry competitive globally. Expanding the range of carbon capture, utilization and storage options available to companies will increase adoption and reduce the cost of this essential technology.

Canada is entering a time of economic uncertainty. Many discussions have centered around the need to increase the productivity of Canada’s industries to remain competitive on a global stage. The energy industry has been looking across its operations to find ways to cut costs while maintaining efficiency and environmental performance.

There have been many conversations about various aspects of production, but finding ways to bring costs down when it comes to emissions reduction is essential to the industry remaining competitive globally. Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technology is a big part of that conversation.

In late January, it was announced that InnoTech Alberta would receive a total of $4.5 million from Natural Resources Canada, the government of Alberta and industry to improve the energy and cost efficiency of the leading carbon capture technology, and this has Alberta’s energy industry talking. They already see the potential for this and other emerging commercial CCUS technologies to be integrated into their operations, reducing the emissions intensity of energy production. However, the next stage of that conversation is often more complicated. Commercially available carbon capture technology is still too expensive for widespread adoption.

We know that the use of existing commercially available technology will allow the industry to make progress on reducing emissions for targeted parts of their operations, but, more variations and options in CCUS technologies are going to be needed to make further significant emissions reductions possible in the future.

Investing in the adoption of current CCUS technology isn’t the only answer. We can (and should) invest in diversifying the types of technologies available for adoption. That’s where InnoTech Alberta comes in. As Alberta's leading research and technology organization, we ensure that Alberta is always one step ahead by providing innovative solutions to global challenges facing industries, businesses and the public sector.

Currently, there is only one widely available type of carbon capture technology and only a few technology vendors provide it globally. Not only does that make the technology expensive, but it also means that this single technology must fit all needs.

Increased competition will help CCUS technology improve. For example, increasing the number of alternative fuel vehicles available for purchase, including those relying on hydrogen, is increasing competition and reducing the up-front costs for consumers. They offer a range of fuel options that fit consumers’ diverse needs. The same supply-and-demand equation will be true on an industrial scale for CCUS. InnoTech is helping speed that process along.

By connecting with technology developers and users, we are identifying the emerging challenges the industry faces, allowing us to identify and kick-start the development of new solutions that will help reduce and capture emissions while lowering costs.

Our work in this space is already making an impact. The $4.5 million in funding provided by the Government of Alberta, NRCan and industry will enable us to evaluate a new, more cost-effective and energy-efficient version of the existing amine carbon capture process, the most widely available carbon capture technology. A new technology that captures and stores emissions directly from the exhaust stacks of heavy haulers is ready to be tested in the field as well. And we’re also looking way outside the box; our team is developing brand-new technologies that reduce the need to capture carbon at all.

Not all these technologies will make it into the field, but expanding the range of potential options available is the first step to diversifying any market. By spurring their development now, we are ensuring that enough of these technologies will be available to help the industry continue to reduce emissions into the future. If there were ever a time for work like this, it’s now.

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