Western Economic Diversification Canada - Advancing Environmental Technologies in the West

In its commitment to Canada’s Innovation Strategy, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) is investing in research and demonstration of new environmental technologies that will help Western Canada and western Canadian businesses meet the climate change challenge. Through innovation, WD is transforming resources, knowledge and research into more competitive businesses, more job opportunities and more economic growth.

For a more general overview of Environmental Technology at WD, visit Advancing Environmental Technologies in the West.

British Columbia | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba

British Columbia

Fuel Cells Canada
WD Investment: $6.5 million
Through a Canada-British Columbia Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA), WD helped establish Fuel Cells Canada (FCC), a B.C.-based non-profit national industry association that represents a broad cross-section of fuel-cell cluster stakeholders in B.C. and across Canada, and is a key player in the growth of the industry. As well, WD support for FCC’s Fuel Cell Demonstration Program under this WEPA, which ended in 2003, initiated nine pre-commercial demonstration projects that ranged from developing a hydrogen-fuelling station to demonstrating fuel cell-powered forklifts for warehouse applications.

National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation
WD Investment: $1.5 million
Located on the University of British Columbia campus, WD invested in the National Research Council's Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation to construct six additional hydrogen-safe laboratories and provide equipment for its hydrogen-safe environmental test chamber. The test chamber (controlled for temperature, humidity and altitude), hydrogen-ready labs, on-site expertise and safety infrastructure are available to industry for collaborative research or fee-for-service use.

Kamloops River Street Water Treatment Plant
WD Investment: $11.5 million
This innovative water treatment plant will use a Canadian-made membrane filtration system to remove 99.99 per cent of waterborne organisms and reduce water cloudiness. Already recognized for its leading-edge environmental design, it will be the largest membrane water treatment plant in Canada when construction is complete.

White Rock Operations Building
WD Investment (Canada - BC Infrastructure Program): $449,220
Through the Canada - British Columbia Infrastructure Program, the White Rock operations building developed into an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable facility. The building is both a healthy, productive place to work and a facility that has minimal impact on the environment. The construction of the building involved the deconstruction of an existing facility and the recycling of 85 per cent of that structure, including using the old foundation. The Operations Building was awarded Canada’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold award for new construction by the United States Green Building Council.

Institute for Integrated Energy Systems
WD Investment: $405,000
The University of Victoria's Institute for Integrated Energy Systems acquired specialized equipment for a renewable energy test bed and a fuel cell gas flow diagnostic system, enabling the facility to advance to the next generation of research into sustainable energy systems and clean energy alternatives.

EcoSmart Sustainable Condo
WD Investment: $300,000
The Sustainable Condo, a full-size display suite, demonstrates how human comfort and environmental responsibility can be achieved by combining smart, innovative design with state-of-the-art green building technologies, materials and products that are available and affordable now, from local suppliers and manufacturers. Most of the innovative technologies, materials, systems and products employed in the Sustainable Condo exhibit, from the over 56 companies involved, are designed and produced in Canada, many of them in BC. In addition to showcasing these specific technologies and the companies providing them, the exhibit promotes and brands the leading capability of Canada’s and B.C.’s emerging green building cluster, and stimulates the development and commercialization of innovative new sustainable building technologies.

Biofleet Challenge
WD Investment: $150,000
WD helped develop Canada’s largest biodiesel demonstration project in partnership with the Province of B.C., several B.C. municipalities, and the Fraser Basin Council. Six B.C. Municipalities including Vancouver, Richmond, Whistler, Delta, Burnaby and North Vancouver will purchase and use up to 80 million litres of blended biodiesel in their vehicle fleets over the next five years. Biodiesel is made from natural, renewable resources such as used vegetable oils or animal fats. It cuts exhaust emissions and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Alberta

Western Canada Fuel Cell Initiative
WD Investment (WEPA): $990,000
Since March 2005, WD has been supporting the pre-commercial development of fuel cell technology directed at stationary electricity and heat generation using “impure hydrogen.” This initiative is being carried out as part of the EnergyINet Alternative and Renewable Energy Program in conjunction with the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI). The aim is to support the systematic investigation, evaluation, development and deployment of commercial 'impure hydrogen' fuel cell technology. Research will be carried out at the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, and the Alberta Research Council. All available fuel cells use 'pure' fuels such as hydrogen. Alberta has many existing and potential 'impure' fuel sources such as synthetic gas from coal. The particular emphasis of this project is on developing solid oxide fuel cells for stationary power applications that would be able to utilize impure fuel sources.

Under the Canada-Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA), WD and the Province of Alberta provided funding for this initiative

NAIT Fuel Cell and Interpretive Centre
WD Investment: $950,000
In June 2003, Canada's first high-voltage operational fuel cell was installed at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). The cell will be used for research and educational purposes, and as part of an interpretative centre that will educate the public about fuel cell technology and environmental impacts. It will also be compared against alternative sources of energy, including traditional forms of power production, other fuel cells and hybrid systems.

Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC)
WD Investment: $738,000
The Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC) is implementing an Eco-efficient and Greenhouse Technologies Program that will support the efforts of the hydrocarbon energy industry as it works to reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with ongoing exploration, processing, transportation and transmission activities. PTAC will also facilitate increased adoption of sustainable, eco-efficient and economical greenhouse gas- reducing technologies in the hydrocarbon energy industry through Western and Northern Canada.

Canadian Environmental Technology Advancement Corporation-West (CETAC-West)
Energy Efficiency Audits of Alberta Natural Gas Plants
WD Investment: $421,000
CETAC-West is a Calgary-based non-profit corporation that was established in 1994. It has a mandate to support the development and commercialization of new environmental technologies in the four western provinces. CETAC-West offers small firms a complete suite of services including training, mentoring and sourcing of funds. In 2002 WD approved a three-year pilot program in which CETAC-West conducted energy efficiency audits of selected gas plant facilities to determine potential for reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The objective was to identify opportunities to improve operational efficiencies by using innovative technology to reduce, control and/or beneficially use GHG emissions

Climate Change Central (CCC)
WD Investment: $144,000
Climate Change Central, established in 1999 by the Alberta government, is a unique public-private partnership that promotes the development of innovative responses to global climate change and its impacts. WD has invested in several CCC-coordinated projects, including $110,000 for a project to calculate the greenhouse gas savings for farmers through changes in how they manage their land, and $18,500 for a project to help Alberta municipalities develop new ways to reduce consumption of energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Saskatchewan

Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC)
WD Investment: $3.0 million
The Regina-based centre employs about 50 scientists and graduate students who work on environmentally and economically sustainable ways of enhancing the potential and value of oil resources in Saskatchewan, the rest of Canada and throughout the world. As well, the facility was designed to use one-third less energy than conventionally constructed facilities.

Greenhouse Gas Technology Centre (GTC)
WD Investment: $2.8 million
The University of Regina renovated and expanded an existing campus building to establish and open the Greenhouse Gas Technology Centre in 2003. The Centre houses leading-edge research on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially those produced by the energy sector, and will pave the way for new storage and disposal methods and new industrial uses for greenhouse gas.

Canola Bio-Bus

Canola Biodiesel Fuel Research
WD Investment: $199,040
Canola biodiesel, produced from canola and alcohol, is being explored as an alternative renewable fuel for diesel engines and as an alternative market for Saskatchewan's canola. Saskatoon's two Bio Buses ran on canola biodiesel for two years to assess its potential for improving mileage and reducing emissions. The project studied biodiesel's influence on fuel economy, engine wear, engine operation and emissions in transit buses and could potentially transform public transit across Canada and internationally.

Manitoba

Hydrogen Centre of Expertise Study
WD investment: $16,000
This study provides the basis for e stablishing a Hydrogen Research Centre of Expertise in Manitoba that will maximize the province's hydrogen infrastructure and research capacity. The proposed non-profit, industry-led centre will build on Manitoba's inbuilt strengths in the hydrogen sector – the capacity to generate hydrogen from non-polluting hydroelectricity, as well as the hydrogen testing and evaluation capabilities of the AECL facility in Pinawa – by focusing on insurance testing and certification, standards and codes, and the development of new technologies to generate, store and distribute hydrogen.

Vehicle Technology Centre Inc. (VTC)
WD Investment: $5 million
The VTC is an industry-led non-profit corporation mandated to promote the development of a world-class vehicle and transportation equipment cluster in Manitoba and the West. With a special focus on the mass transit sector, the centre has initiated projects to develop a new generation of vehicles with significant improvements in noise reduction, materials and emission controls, resulting in a better, more efficient product.

Emissions Trading System Study
WD Investment: $80,000
This study, Realizing Opportunities: Emissions Trading in Manitoba, was commissioned by the Task Force on Emissions Trading and the Manitoba Economy to explore how Manitoba can use its natural assets to capitalize on opportunities presented by the Government of Canada's proposed domestic greenhouse gas emissions trading system.

Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP)
WD Investment: $19,600
Developed by Manitoba Hydro as part of its Power Smart initiative in partnership with the Wheatbelt Community Futures Development Corporation, the project is Manitoba's first housing subdivision using Ground Source Heat Pumps as the source of heating and cooling energy. Using compressors and heat exchangers, a pump extracts three units of underground heat while expending only one unit of electricity. This project marks the first time in Manitoba that an entire subdivision was developed with the ground source heat pump piping already installed, allowing homeowners to build their houses and simply hook up the underground piping.

Red River College - Winnipeg
WD Investment: $30,000
WD supported the development of the Red River Raycer, a solar powered vehicle that competed in the biennial solar race from Austin, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta (the first year the race came to Canada). The Red River Raycer finished 16th place (out of 18), an excellent result for Red River’s first attempt at the race. Red River College was the only community college to compete against teams from across North America. The Raycer survived the grueling 4,000 kilometre race and a new version is expected to return to the race in two years’ time. Solar-powered vehicles will likely never be practical for every-day use, but the race provides an international opportunity to develop and operate energy efficient designs and technology, which will benefit the students, their education and society in the years ahead.In addition to placing 16th, the Red River Raycer and its support team won the following 4 prizes:

“Green Award” for Best Alternate Fuel Burning
“K.I.S.S. Award” – Keep it Simple Stupid
“Best Workmanship”
“Best Mechanical”

Pan-Western

WestLink Innovation Network Ltd.
WD Investment: $2.225 million
Westlink is an innovative, not-for-profit organization that facilitates communication, collaboration and technology development and commercialization in Western Canada. It was established to accelerate the commercialization of its members' scientific inventions through collaboration, skill building and targeted programs and services. Its 25 members include western Canadian Universities, colleges, technical and research institutes.

Western Canadian Environmental Technology Forum
Click on the following link to the Western Canadian Environmental Technology Forum held on December 5, 2003 for more detailed information about environmental technologies, including reports and outcomes from this meeting, what’s been accomplished and what’s on the horizon: http://www.wd.gc.ca/innovation/etf/forum_e.asp.