NEWS RELEASE
(Taken from the Government of Alberta)
CALGARY, ALBERTA, March 17, 2022 – Alberta’s energy sector is Canada’s economic engine and is constantly innovating both internally and with partners. The work of researchers and entrepreneurs around clean energy technology is instrumental in helping Alberta meet its net-zero targets.
As Alberta continues to diversify its economy, innovations like the ones happening in these projects are critical. The projects being supported today are an important part of that diversification and are creating jobs. To date, these projects have created 200 jobs and that is expected to increase to more than 1,900 in five years.
The province is investing $13 million to support 22 projects through Alberta Innovates. Thirteen projects are receiving funding through the Digital Innovation in Clean Energy (DICE) program and nine through the Clean Resources business unit.
The DICE projects being funded are part of that program’s second phase and support business transformation, clean technology, and innovative production and distribution. These digital innovations will develop and bring technology to market that creates jobs in the digital economy, improve the efficiency of energy production at all levels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to environmental innovations in water and land management.
Projects funded through Alberta Innovates’ Clean Resources business unit fall under one of five streams: clean technologies, digital clean energy, environmental technologies, partial upgrading and recovery technology. The solutions being worked on include reducing building utility costs and emissions with digital transformation software, augmented intelligence to lower carbon dioxide and engineering and development of asphalt from Alberta bitumen.
QUOTES
“Technology is driving innovation in every industry. Alberta entrepreneurs and researchers are creating the solutions that move Alberta – and the world – forward. Each project supported through this funding will help us double down on Alberta’s role as a responsible and secure supplier of energy.”
Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation
“The new economy creates incredible opportunities in the clean-tech sector. Growing a mature clean technology industry in Alberta takes dedication and resources. We are pleased to provide support for both the Clean Resources’ projects that demonstrate a clear path to helping Alberta meet its Net Zero goals, as well as those unique innovations in the Digital Innovations in Clean Energy program.”
Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates
“With these investments, University of Calgary researchers will continue to reimagine the energy landscape to help Alberta’s energy sector grow, diversify, and become even more sustainable. We thank the Government of Alberta and Alberta Innovates for their confidence in our scholars and their ability to drive energy technology innovation for our low-carbon future.”
Ed McCauley, president, University of Calgary
BACKGROUND
- The total investment is $13 million in 22 projects.
- $9.6 million will be used to fund nine projects from the Clean Resources business unit.
- $3.4 million will be used to fund 13 projects through the DICE program.
- Total project costs are $47 million.
- Alberta Innovates’ clean energy business unit develops and invests in applied research and innovation programs to sustain, grow and diversify the energy and resource industries, develop clean technology, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect Alberta’s environment.
- DICE aims to help projects that support Alberta Innovates’ three strategic priorities:
- Developing emerging technologies, which include data-enabled innovation; digital technology for business transformation; clean technology; innovative production and distribution.
- Enhancing our knowledge workforce.
- Embracing the digital future.
- DICE initially supported 17 projects between March 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021 by providing more than $3 million in funding.
- The program created more than 50 jobs initially and 468 jobs upon project completion.
DICE Project Funding:
| Applicant | Project Title | AI Investment | Total Project Budget | Sector Focus | Technology Type |
| Innovative Numerix Inc. | ESP Optimization Management Program – Leveraging Data Analytics For An Improved ESP Strategy | $350,000 | $958,410 | Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production | Machine Learning/ Data Insights |
| PTAC Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada | Reduction Pathways: A Digital Twin for Optimizing Net-Zero Emissions Roadmapping for Alberta’s Energy Sector | $350,000 | $859,500 | Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production | Digital Twin/ Prediction |
| PTAC Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada | Field Demonstration of Artificial Intelligence powered Predictive Emissions Monitoring Systems (PEMS) | $350,000 | $2,508,021 | Environmental Innovations | Artificial Intelligence/ Prediction |
| University of Calgary | Digital Transformation and Leak Detection of Hydrogen Pipelines through Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twin | $200,000 | $470,000 | Cleantech | Digital Twin/ Prediction |
| Galatea Technologies Inc. | Building and Implementing a “Data Refinery” to Enable Intelligent Scheduling | $300,000 | $948,059 | Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production | Data Analytics |
| Closure Liability Management Inc. | Development of the Integrated Platform to Host Downhole Well Abandonment Risk Analysis Module and Additional Future Analytical Modules | $250,000 | $654,050 | Environmental Innovations | Data Analytics |
| University of Calgary | Digital Technologies in Reservoir Interpretation and Production Prediction | $257,000 | $566,200 | Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production | Machine Learning |
| Validere Technologies Inc. | Validere ESG HUB: ESG forecasting and enhanced emissions reductions | $300,000 | $700,000 | Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production | Digital Twin/ Prediction |
| C-FER Technologies (1999) Inc. | Risk Software for Pipelines in Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide Service | $65,000 | $130,000 | Cleantech | Machine Learning/ Prediction |
| EnviroApps Inc. | Trident 2.0 and CleanTech Portal | $317,200 | $643,400 | Environmental Innovations | Data Analytics |
| Madala Software Inc. | Online Optimization and Surveillance of SAGD Production Wells – Pre-Commercial Scale up | $182,892 | $432,568 | Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production | Data Analytics |
| Kobold Corporation | Advanced Real-Time Shift Confirmation Project | $285,000 | $592,000 | Cleaner Hydrocarbon Production | Data Analytics |
| Nanode Battery Technologies ltd. | Machine Learning-Assisted Electrolyte Optimization for Next Generation Rechargeable Lithium-ion Batteries | $221,000 | $513,207 | Cleantech | Machine Learning |
| Total | $3,428,092 | $9,975,415 |
Clean Resources’ Funding
| Applicant | Title | AI Investment | Sector Focus | Total Project Cost |
| University of Calgary | Modified redox flow battery membranes for a step change improvement in energy storage technology | $307,000 | Clean Technologies | $544,060 |
| GreyJay Energy Inc. | Reduce Building Utility Costs and Emissions with Digital Transformation Software – EFFICIATE | $300,144 | Clean Technologies | $601,864 |
| DeNova Inc | Sustainable Protein from Hydrocarbons | $3,500,000 | Clean Technologies | $18,000,000 |
| EZOPS Inc. | Augmented Intelligence Lowering CO2 | $1,060,000 | Digital Clean Energy | $2,270,000 |
| NTWIST Inc | Artificial Intelligence Assisted Computer Vision Application in Oil & Gas Mining Industry | $375,284 | Digital Clean Energy | $536,120 |
| Archer BD Inc. | IBEX – Step-change pad-based steam and solvent bitumen surface technology improves environmental and economic sustainability | $595,000 | Environmental Technologies | $835,357 |
| Carbovate Development Corp | Engineering & Development of a New “Asphalt from Alberta Bitumen” Process | $400,000 | Partial Upgrading | $966,930 |
| Solideum | Solideum 1000 bbl/d Field Pilot | $1,190,000 | Partial Upgrading | $4,900,000 |
| PTAC Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada | CanERIC funding | $1,500,000 | Recovery Technology | $27,292,000 |
| Total | $9,227,428 | $55,946,331 |
Alberta Innovates is the province’s largest and Canada’s first provincial research and innovation agency. For a century we have worked closely with researchers, companies, and entrepreneurs – trailblazers who built industries and strengthened communities. Today we are pivoting to the next frontier of opportunity in Alberta and worldwide by driving emerging technologies across sectors. We are a provincial corporation delivering seed funding, business advice, applied research and technical services, and avenues for partnership and collaboration.
Learn how albertainnovates.ca