Cleantech project gets $1M in funding

Edmonton, AB – The federal government has announced $1 million in funding for research into the InLine Dewatering of Oil Sands Tailings research and development project, which will conduct research into reducing water and energy use when extracting bitumen from Canada’s oil sands. The funding is being made under the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative (ecoEII).

The study will examine to what extent the company’s methods recycle heated extraction water, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from tailings ponds and reduce the volume of tailings produced.

“We need revolutionary tailings technology in Alberta, so we can speed up reclamation efforts,” said Richard Nelson, senior director of oil sands tailings at Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions. “We are excited to be supporting this novel dewatering technology that has the potential to both reduce the number and size of tailings ponds and enhance the recycle of hot process affected water back to the extraction process. These attributes will ultimately minimize the overall environmental footprint associated with tailings as well as reduce the GHG intensity of bitumen production.”