Engineering firms receive funding for green technologies

The federal government has announced a list of 15 more projects that it will fund as promising green technologies. A total of $42.5 million from Sustainable Development Technology Canada was released in the recent announcement, awarded to projects in sectors ranging from tar sands oil extraction to pulp and paper production, to municipal solid waste gasification.<br>
To receive a grant from the organization the developers have to demonstrate due diligence and they must be part of a consortia of partners. The funding is to help them move the technology from the development phases into preparation for commercialization.<br>
Among the projects receiving the funding was one led by AirScience Technologies of Montreal. to demonstrate a new process “Terragas” that promises to economically produce hydrogen from feedstocks such as landfill gas. The project uses processes under licence from Unitel Technologies. It would remove trace contaminants from the biogas that might otherwise damage internal combustion engineers, etc.<br>
Another funded project is led by the EcoSmart Foundation of Vancouver in a consortium that includes two consulting engineering companies: Halcrow Yolles and Read Jones Christoffersen. The technology is to develop a simulation method to allow for the optimization of the use of supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) in the concrete.<br>
Hatch of Mississauga, Ontario are leading a funded project that involves the design, building and operation of a demonstration plant to test a process for the in-situ extraction of oil from tar sands using a pure condensing solvent. The process promises a 90% reduction in energy costs and 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to steam injection processes. The demonstration field plant will handle 2,000 barrels of oil per day and runs on a patented process (N-Solv). The process does not consume any water and produces an enhanced quality oil product. The consortium developing the plant includes N-Solv Corporation and Nenninger Engineering. <br>
Consulting engineers Jacques Whitford is part of a consortium led by Netistix Technologies of Ottawa that received a grant to develop a low-cost system for monitoring vehicle and driver behaviour. The system is intended to reduce inefficient driving, resulting in economical fuel use.<br>
Giffels Associates is part of a consortium led by SHEC Labs, Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that received funding to develop a technology that uses solar energy to produce hydrogen from landfill gas. Their project will be the first to use “dry fuel reformation” reactors, unique solar concentrator designs and “direct water splitting” to produce hydrogen on a commercial scale. The goal is to test the system at the City of Regina Fleet Street landfill. <br>
The Sustainable Development Technology Canada foundation will launch its next call for statements of interest in developing “clean” technologies on January 18, 2006. It operates a $550-million fund. <br>
See www.sdtc.ca<br>