Canada advances additional support for emerging cleantech
SUMMARY
GHGSat funded for hybrid satellite-aircraft methane mitigation technology.
By Dale LunanPOSTED IN:
The Canadian government said March 30 it would provide additional investments to support a variety of emerging clean technologies, including for methane detection.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced a combined investment of C$12mn for seven organisations that are advancing clean technologies to help the country reach its environmental targets.
“The government of Canada is pleased to invest in projects that position Canada’s natural resource sectors as leaders on the global stage,” he said. “Through innovative ideas and with dedicated partners, we are helping to grow the economy in a way that is compatible with our climate commitments.”
Among the investments were C$453,993 to Montreal-based GHGSat which is launching a demonstration project in the Montney shale gas region of northeast BC to show that its satellite-aircraft hybrid system provides methane leak detection and mitigation that is equivalent to more conventional optical gas imaging surveys, while detecting leaks three times more quickly and at a cost 25% lower.
“GHGSat’s satellite and aircraft technology has been proven in the US and internationally, and this project provides an opportunity to validate its performance in Canada,” GHGSat CEO Stephane Germaine said. “We are privileged to work with NRCan, the Natural Gas Innovation Fund and Sustainable Development Technology Canada on this project.”
The University of Toronto received C$1.6mn to develop a conversion technology that converts captured CO2 into low-carbon-intensity synthetic methane, while the Unversity of British Columbia received C$1.16mn to advance a thermochemical process to economically produce renewable natural gas from forest residues.
