Cleantech could represent a $3.8 trillion economic opportunity globally by 2030 (ACTia, 2019). In 2019, Calgary was ranked one of the world’s top 15 cleantech ecosystems (Startup Genome, 2019) with more than 70 per cent of Alberta’s cleantech head offices located in the city (ACTia, 2019). Emerging strengths in delivering innovation in oil and gas, electricity and food and agriculture, are improving the competitiveness of Alberta’s leading economic sectors and companies while exporting solutions to the world.
To be competitive going forward, oil and gas producers will need to continuously strive to lower costs, improve productivity and be leaders in environmentally responsible development. Innovation will be essential to future success. These companies are creating solutions to these challenges, right here in Calgary.
Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is an alliance of oil sands producers focused on collaborative action and innovation to accelerate the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands when it comes to greenhouse gases, land, water and tailings.
Clean Resources Innovation Network (CRIN) is a group of forward-thinking oil and gas industry professionals, policy makers, financiers, academics and students focused on accelerating commercialization of technology to make the hydrocarbon sector more effective, efficient and carbon-competitive.
Across all industries, cleantech is changing the way business is done.
Alberta ag-tech ventures Livestock Water Recycling and First Pass Technologies are two of the eight finalists selected for the $1.25 million Nutrien-Radicle Challenge Canada, established to transform the speed of agricultural innovation.
Carbon Upcycling Technologies is a finalist in the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, one of ten ventures inducted into Lafarge Holcim’s inaugural building technology accelerator, and one of six winners of the New York-based 76West venture clean energy commercialization competition.
Calgary-based CleanO2 won the 2019 JWN Energy Excellence Award and the 2019 Nature Inspiration Award from the Canadian Museum of Nature and supplies customers including Lush Cosmetics, FortisBC, Pacific Northern Gas, ATCO and Union Gas.
In 2017, water pipeline technology and inspection company Pure Technologies achieved the largest exit in Alberta cleantech history, selling for over $500 million to New York-based Xylem Inc.
Creative Destruction Lab-Rockies launched in 2017, helping Alberta cleantech ventures including IoT play Ingu Solutions, blockchain-enabled ReWatt Power and novel water treatment play Swirltex raise over $14 million in funding. CDL-Rockies launched an energy-specific cohort in 2018.
The $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE is a global competition to develop breakthrough technologies that will convert CO₂ emissions from power plants and industrial facilities into valuable products like building materials, alternative fuels and other items that we use every day.
Finalists include Calgary-based Carbon Upcycling Technologies (CUT) who, along with Newlight Technologies, are utilizing CO2 emissions to cultivate nanoparticles that enhance materials like concrete, plastics and batteries.
Learn more about how cleantech and digital transformation are changing the energy industry.
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Megan Zimmerman
Director, Business Development
