Emissions Reduction Alberta (formerly the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corp.) has awarded $12 million in funding to four projects as part of the second round of its Grand Challenge: Innovative Carbon Uses program.
Winning projects are:
- A sustainable method for cement production and CO2 Utilization - from Solidia Technologies
- Carbon dioxide utilization in concrete - from CarbonCure Technologies
- A technology for conversion of carbon dioxide and saline waste water to oil and gas field chemicals and re-useable water - from Mangrove Water Technologies
- Field-deployment of a carbon dioxide transformation system powered by sunlight - from McGill University
The challenge seeks projects that can demonstration the use of carbon emissions from a waste stream while also significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Each Round Two project will receive up to $3 million to accelerate their technologies over the next two years. In 2019 one will be eligible for up to an additional $10 million in funding to help commercialize their technology in Alberta.
"We searched the world for the best solutions for Alberta to move carbon dioxide from a waste stream to an asset, and in the process, we are attracting new companies and new ideas to the province,” said Steve MacDonald, chief executive at ERA.
CarbonCure was the only applicant to apply in the second round, the other three winners progressed from the first stage. In the first round, ERA selected 24 projects from 344 submissions from around the world. First round projects received up to $500,000 in funding to develop their technologies. There were 19 winners from Round One to submit applications to continue their project development in Round Two and 69 submissions were received from new applicants.