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By rdnewsNOW Staff

Alberta

Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction fund gives waste products new life

Feb 14, 2023 | 2:19 PM

The provincial government has announced that Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program will be funding advanced solutions to extend the lifecycle of products like rubber tires, plastics and food waste, through the Circular Economy Challenge.

“A more sustainable, diversified provincial economy requires using our resources more wisely. We need to think about waste as a resource rather than a cost. This investment in converting waste into other uses is going to make a real difference,” said Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA).

Provincial officials say the TIER program aims to help industrial facilities, which account for more than half of Alberta’s total emissions, find innovative ways to reduce emissions and invest in clean technology to save money and stay competitive.

The government says up to $58 million from the TIER fund is being delivered through ERA to help projects participating in the Circular Economy Challenge progress through various stages of development.

In a circular economy, officials say a product’s lifecycle is extended through reuse, recycling, upcycling, resource recovery, and sustainable design. Proposed technology solutions supported by the Circular Economy Challenge include recycling asphalt from roof shingles, capturing and storing carbon in concrete, and a first-in-Canada project that turns inedible eggs into a powder to feed pets and livestock.

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If successful, officials say these projects have the potential to create about 1,800 jobs and cut emissions by up to four million tonnes by 2050, equal to offsetting emissions from about one million homes.

“Circularity in our economy is integral to Alberta’s decarbonization efforts. Circular Economy Challenge funding through ERA signals the Alberta government’s commitment to supporting innovative companies like Carbon Upcycling, as we collaborate with industry partners and look to achieve commercial-scale impact in the cement industry,” said Ryan Bourns, business development partnerships manager for Carbon Upcycling.

Since 2019, officials say Alberta has invested more than $1 billion from the TIER fund to support clean technology development and innovation. The Government of Alberta says the TIER program is at the core of the province’s approach to reducing emissions and leading the world in areas of technological innovation while supporting the industry jobs Albertans rely on.

“Advancing technology solutions that support a circular economy makes good environmental and economic sense. Circular Economy Challenge projects supported by the TIER fund through ERA will help keep valuable materials in the economy and out of landfills for longer, which drives investment, bolsters economic activity, cuts emissions and creates jobs. It’s a win across the board,” said Sonya Savage, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.

The government says successful Circular Economy Challenge projects were selected through ERA’s review process. All ERA funding recipients are required to produce a final outcomes report that is shared publicly. A complete list of Circular Economy Challenge funding recipients is available on ERA’s website.

“The Government of Alberta and ERA’s contribution to our innovative and proprietary clean technology process is hugely supportive in the commercialization of our first scale-up asphalt shingle reprocessing facility in Alberta. This landmark facility will be the first in North America and launches our scalable business model to deploy our circular economy, clean technology solution across Canada and the United States,” said Aidan Mills, president and CEO of Northstar Clean Technologies Inc.

Officials say ERA invests revenues from the carbon price paid by large emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions. Since 2009, officials say ERA has committed $884 million toward 246 projects worth more than $7 billion that are cutting emissions, keeping industry competitive and attracting investment. Officials say projects are estimated to reduce emissions by 40 million tonnes by 2030 and by 99 million tonnes by 2050.

“Provincial support of our project through ERA is pivotal in advancing the circular economy. CRT [Circular Rubber Technologies] is constructing the world’s first commercial-scale rubber devulcanization facility for industrial tires, with a state-of-the-art facility in Alberta, set to begin production in fall 2023. ERA funding accelerates bringing CRT’s product – which is the world’s cleanest, highest-quality rubber reclaim – to a $45-billion global market. In doing so, CRT will clean up 0.5 million tonnes of tire waste and offset 320 tonnes of emissions by 2050,” said Maartje Van Der Sande, CEO of CRT.

The province says Circular Economy Challenge projects are worth $528 million in public and private investment and the GDP impact of this funding is $350 million by 2025. The government says a circular economy is a key part of Alberta’s Natural Gas Vision and Strategy and complements Alberta’s extended producer responsibility framework in which producers are responsible at end of life for the products and packaging they put on the market.

“Circular Economy Challenge funding through the Government of Alberta will help our company meet zero-waste and sustainability goals for our food processing facility in Calgary. We will reduce our emissions and transform our current waste product into a new ingredient for the pet food industry, creating a circular economy and permanent sustainable waste management solutions,” said Scott Brookshaw, executive vice-president of Sparks Eggs, a Division of Golden Valley Foods Ltd.