Energy research centre to probe sustainable processes for accessing bitumen reserves

Calgary, AB – The Alberta government has earmarked up to $9 million to establish a major new energy research centre based at the University of Calgary. The Alberta Ingenuity Centre for In Situ Energy will bring together top researchers to study more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable processes and technologies to improve recovery and upgrading of Alberta’s vast and virtually untapped bitumen reserves.

“We’ve got a huge source of energy in the ground that we need to find new and better ways of getting at, that are less harmful to our environment, and that ensure we continue to enjoy this resource for a long time,” says Dr Peter Hackett, Alberta Ingenuity’s president and CEO.

The centre can receive up to $7.5 million in funding over five years. In addition, two international science and engineering research experts, Dr Steve Larter and Dr Pedro Pereira Almao, have been recruited to Alberta with $1.5 million in support to lead the Centre’s research program.