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For Release
November 16, 2006
New Government of Canada Invests Over $1 Million in Environmental Technologies for Alberta's Energy Sector
Calgary, Alberta — Lee Richardson, Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Carol Skelton, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification, today announced a $1,050,000 investment from Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) to support Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC) in implementing Phase II of the Technology for Emission Reduction and Eco-Efficiency (TEREE) initiative.
From left to right: MP Lee Richardson, Eric Lloyd, President of Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada; Rich Kerr, Past Chair of Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada and Chief Engineer at Nexen Inc.
The initiative will provide the energy industry with more efficient and environmentally friendly equipment and processes to reduce polluting emissions on a wide scale. Phase II of the initiative involves the identification of environmental technologies in which the energy industry expresses interest and then providing funding to assist with commercialization.
“Canada’s New Government is working with industry to reduce smog and greenhouse gas emissions in the short, medium, and long term,” said Richardson. “This is a win-win initiative. Providing environmental technologies to the energy sector will enable businesses to become more efficient and environmentally friendly. It also helps diversify our economy by developing state-of-the-art products and techniques.”
“With funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada, we can provide the necessary support and management to implement this important initiative,” said Eric Lloyd, President of Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada. “The technologies that are developed as a result of this initiative will help position Alberta at the leading-edge of innovation in the energy sector.”
Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada, based in Calgary, Alberta, will lead the steering committee for Phase II of the TEREE initiative. The committee will consist of representatives from industry, government and other related organizations.
For additional information, contact:
| Donna Kinley |
Eric Lloyd |
WD Toll-Free Number:
1 888 338-WEST (9378) |
Backgrounder
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)
- Western Economic Diversification Canada works in partnership with the provinces, industry associations and communities to stimulate and diversify Western Canada’s economy, as well as to represent the interests of the West in national economic policy.
- WD is announcing $1,050,000 in funding for Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC) to lead the implementation of Phase II of the Technology for Emission Reduction and Eco-Efficiency (TEREE) initiative. WD funding is directed towards PTAC’s support role of the TEREE administrative structure.
- WD’s investment, made through its Western Diversification Program (WDP), supports the department’s priority on facilitating research, development and commercialization; promoting a competitive and expanded business sector; and fostering community economic development.
- The underlying objective of the WDP is to create a stronger West and a
stronger Canada. Several guiding principles are used to help assess how initiatives
contribute to this objective, including:
- increased economic activity that improves the viability, prosperity, and standard of living for individuals and communities across Western Canada.
- increased economic research in the areas of technology development and commercialization, entrepreneurship and community economic development to provide a sound base for economic diversification in areas of importance to Western Canada.
- Other elements that are considered when determining the relative merit of proposals include: the measurable impact on the western Canadian economy, viability and sustainability, long-term benefits, and the participation of other stakeholders.
PTAC Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC)
- Operating since 1996, PTAC is a not-for-profit associationthat facilitates innovation, collaborative research, and technology development, demonstration and deployment for a responsible western Canadian upstream hydrocarbon energy industry.
- The purpose of PTAC is to bring industry stakeholders together to identify industry problems, define research projects to address these problems, and promote collaboration on the resulting research projects.
- PTAC works to facilitate technology transfer and enhance the effectiveness and environmental performance of industry.
- Approximately 240 members and numerous government funders provide resources to enable PTAC to identify opportunities, and provide co-ordination and pooling of resources, for new technology and research of benefit to the western Canadian upstream hydrocarbon energy industry.
- Phase II of the Technology for Emission Reduction and Eco-Efficiency (TEREE) initiative will direct the selection and verification of suitable environmental technologies in which industry expresses interest, and will then facilitate and find funding opportunities to adapt or develop the technologies to a commercial stage.
- Industry members will provide funding and other resources to support the demonstration and verification of the selected technologies in order to develop them into a commercial stage.
- Phase II of TEREE will focus on five priority areas identified by industry: venting, including storage; reciprocating engines; heaters and boilers; flaring and incineration; and fugitive equipment leaks.
- The goal of Phase II of TEREE is to provide industry with specification
for more cost efficient equipment and processes that can be written into new
design and retrofit situations to improve overall efficiencies and emission
reductions on a wide scale.