More than $21 million through PrairiesCan to build on Alberta’s strengths in commercializing innovative technologies that benefit people and communities in the green Prairie economy

July 4, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta – PrairiesCan

As global markets increasingly look for more sustainable ways of doing business, innovators across Alberta have new opportunities to create and commercialize technologies that offer benefits for both the economy and the environment. Alberta is already a national and global leader across key sectors that contribute to Canada’s prosperity—from energy, environment and aerospace to digital technology, life sciences and value-added agriculture.

Through improved coordination across federal departments and in partnership with all levels of government and industry, the Government of Canada is committed to enabling Alberta’s small- and medium-sized businesses to continue capitalizing on these and other opportunities that build on Alberta’s established strengths in creating products and services that the world needs.

Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, announced federal funding of more than $21.9 million for 13 projects to bolster Alberta’s clean technology sector through the commercialization and adoption of new applications that offer environmental benefits across a wide range of industries. Examples of projects receiving support include:

• Alberta Innovates is receiving $10 million to launch a production and testing facility to support the commercialization of new technologies that help produce low-cost carbon fibre using bitumen.
• The Battery Metals Association of Canada is receiving $850,000 to support growth of the battery metals sector in Western Canada by enhancing collaboration and educating stakeholders.
• Carbon Management Canada is receiving $1,168,000 to enhance its emission management technology validation facility where small- and medium-sized businesses can test, refine, and commercialize carbon capture products and technologies.
• Kuva Canada is receiving more than $4 million in repayable funding to grow market share of its automated methane monitoring products and software which safely detect methane leaks more accurately, faster and at a lower cost than traditional methane inspection technologies.
• The Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) is receiving $174,000 to conduct a comprehensive review of the Métis Housing portfolio energy efficiency plan that will provide prioritized recommendations to increase the energy efficiency of homes and support their Climate Change Action Plan.

Projects receiving funding will have significant environmental and economic benefits across the Prairies, including supporting more than 415 jobs and enabling Alberta firms to take advantage of growing market demand for clean energy solutions. Today’s federal investment leverages about $7 million in additional funding through other levels of government and industry.

This announcement exemplifies key principles of the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy, which was tabled in Parliament in December 2023 as a long-term commitment to seize new possibilities to build good-paying jobs in a globally competitive green economy by working collaboratively to build on the region’s strengths in clean resource development, agriculture and manufacturing, and the service industry.