Green Mine Reclamation Technology Coming to Vegreville, Alberta

August 26, 2019           Ottawa, Ontario                  Natural Resources Canada                    

As global demand for cleaner technologies in the natural resource sectors continues to increase, Canada’s mining and minerals industry is at the forefront in developing game-changing innovations in the field of processing minerals. The Government of Canada recognizes the opportunity to develop Canada’s natural resources in cleaner, more sustainable ways to create good, middle-class jobs, increase competitiveness and reduce pollution as we move toward a clean energy future.

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of close to $2 million for ElectroKinetic Solutions Inc. to field test a new dewatering technology that will speed up the process to reclaim new and legacy oil sands mine tailings sites.

Dewatering and extracting oil sands bitumen results in large volumes of tailings that are deposited in large ponds.  These tailings include water, sand, clay and residual oil. This technology accelerates the dewatering of the tailings and allows for the immediate progressive reclamation of oil sands mine sites to sustainable landscapes.

Funded through Natural Resource Canada’s Clean Growth Program, in collaboration with our partner, Alberta Innovates, this project will test and refine this technology, which offers many economic and environmental benefits including reducing demand for fresh water, facilitating immediate and progressive site reclamation, reducing GHG emissions and decreasing the environmental impact on local ecosystems and traditional land uses.  The economic savings from this project will lower mining costs, improving the long-term sustainability of Alberta’s oil sands industry.

The Clean Growth Program is a $155-million investment fund that helps emerging clean technologies further reduce their impacts on air, land and water while enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs. The project has also received investment and support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). SDTC helps Canadian entrepreneurs accelerate the development and deployment of globally competitive clean technology solutions.

Canada’s climate plan includes over 50 measures to protect the environment and leave a healthier planet for future generations, including actions to protect our oceans, phase out coal-fired electricity, invest in renewables and public transit and reduce plastic pollution. Green mining technologies play a key part in Canada’s plan to combat climate change while growing the economy.