News
Alberta creates $50M Industrial Transformation Challenge to reduce emissions

The Alberta government is committing up to $50 million through Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) for the Industrial Transformation Challenge that aims to advance technology opportunities with significant economic and environmental benefits across Alberta’s industrial sector.

Funding is open to applicants from across Alberta’s industrial sectors, including petrochemicals, agriculture, forest products, manufacturing, energy, and more.

ERA CEO Justin Riemer and Alberta Environment Minister Sonya Savage launched the funding opportunity at COP27 in Egypt on Monday.

“Significant investment is needed for game-changing technologies that improve the environmental and economic performance of Alberta’s industrial facilities. The Industrial Transformation Challenge is the latest TIER-funded program that will help accelerate the development and commercialization of promising clean technologies that set our job creators up for success in a lower-emissions future. We look forward to seeing what projects come out of this exciting call,” Savage said in a news release.

Riemer said the investment will help energy-intensive, often trade-exposed industries invest in new technologies. “Funding technology and innovation like this will continue to position Alberta as a forward-thinking investment jurisdiction and industrial leader,” he said.

Alberta’s industries account for approximately two-thirds of the province’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Industrial Transformation Challenge is focused on technology solutions that are currently not in widespread commercial use and will need significant investment, testing, and scale-up, such as low- to- zero carbon heat, breakthrough industrial process improvements, electrification, methane reductions, and new product lines including sustainable mineral and metal extraction and hydrocarbons beyond combustion. The technology can originate from anywhere, but it must be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed in Alberta.

Successful applicants are eligible for up to $10 million per project with a minimum request of $250,000. The maximum ERA contribution to a single project is 50 per cent of the project’s eligible expenses. The application deadline is Jan. 19, 2023 and an informational webinar will be held Dec. 2.

Learn more here.