Canadian innovation fund supports RNG, CCUS, H2
NGIF Capital, a cleantech disruptor created by the Canadian Gas Association (CGA), said August 5 it had funded seven projects with a total of C$1.65mn (US$1.3mn) to advance energy transition technology innovations in the natural gas distribution sector.
Funding for the projects, in the renewable natural gas (RNG), carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen sectors, was made through the NGIF Industry Grants platform. Combined, the supported projects represent more than C$21mn in public and private investments.
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“I am so encouraged by the high standard of startups, their leadership, and the disruptive potential of their innovations,” NGIF Capital CEO John Adams said. “These recipients of funding from NGIF Industry Grants will help to accelerate clean technology development in renewable gases and carbon capture innovation.”
This latest competition by NGIF Capital was launched in May 2020 targeting cleantech startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with solutions that can create value and mitigate environmental impacts in the distribution of natural gas in Canada, Adams added. ATCO Pipelines, Enbridge Gas, FortisBC, Pacific Northern Gas and SaskEnergy – all CGA members – will be investing from the downstream natural gas sector.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen Optimized, based in Ontario, will receive C$300,000 for the development of large-scale green hydrogen production using rugged cell water electrolysis. Its project is valued at C$900,000.
Nova Scotia’s Planetary Hydrogen will receive C$150,000 for its C$8.75mn pilot plant to demonstrate and optimise its SeaOH2 process to produce hydrogen and sequester CO2.
Proton Technologies, which is developing in situ hydrogen generation from depleted oil reservoirs in Alberta and Saskatchewan, will receive C$150,000 to demonstrate blending of its produced hydrogen into commercial natural gas pipelines. The project is valued at C$6.3mn.
The University of Alberta’s Aurora Hydrogen project will receive C$300,000 (half under contingent funding) to help in the C$2.03mn development of microwave pyrolysis of natural gas to produce blue hydrogen.
RNG
G4 Insights in BC will receive C$300,000 for the demonstration and validate the scaleup of its pyrocatalytic hydrogenation (PCH) reactor process to produce RNG from forestry biomass. Total project value is estimated at C$920,000.
Char Biocarbon of Ontario will receive C$300,000 to help in its C$1.36mn project to demonstrate high temperature pyrolysis to create RNG.
CCUS
And Ionada Incorporated will receive C$150,000 to pilot the demonstration and deployment, in Alberta and Saskatchewan, of membrane contactor technology to capture point source carbon emissions. Its project is valued at C$1.06mn.