Back in February, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) announced the latest round of SD Tech Fund investment. This round released $61.8 M to 23 projects across the country, many of them highly relevant to SIN:
- Anti-bacterial pesticides that are less damaging to the environment ($1.5 M)
- A biomass-derived coal (torrefaction) demonstration plant ($2.7 M)
- A 1 MW tidal generator suitable for harsh conditions ($5 M)
- New exploration methodology to exploit geothermal power sources ($2.4 M)
- New, lower-cost lithium production methods ($6.5 M)
- A demonstration of hybrid engine-off systems for heavy utility trucks ($1.8 M)
- A biomass-derived coal commercial production demonstrator ($1 M)
- A demonstration of new generator technology to reduce wind turbine weight and cost ($6 M)
- New nanosatellite technology for remote emissions sensing ($2 M)
- A pilot plant to convert bitumen into crude oil more efficiently ($7 M)
- Spectroscopic methods to evaluate and sort mineral-containing ores more efficiently ($1.5 M)
- A pilot plant to extract precious metals from ores more efficiently ($5 M)
- A low-energy demonstrator for drying fruit at the point of production ($2 M)
- An environmentally-friendly method for recycling polystyrene ($480 k)
- A smart controller demonstrator for electrical substations ($1.7 M)
- New methods for enhanced oil recovery in depleted oil fields ($2.8 M)
- Automated pest management systems for orchards ($2.8 M)
- Demonstration of a hybrid solar airship for cargo transportation ($2.2 M)
- High-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems ($2 M)
- A new technology to separate fine particles from mine or tar sands tailings ponds ($3 M)
- A new method to produce hydrogen from natural gas and capture carbon dioxide ($1.5 M)
- A machine to clean ship hulls, reducing invasive species and improving fuel efficiency ($646 k)
- A pilot plant for refining zinc without energy-intensive traditional methods ($400 k)
These projects are well-supported by government, academia and industry, and will make Canada a little more environmentally friendly over the next few years. SIN is already involved with the marine energy project (the demonstrator builds on joint UK-Canada work), and will start to make connections on other ones where there’s an opportunity for the UK to get involved.