January 26, 2010 — Vancouver, British Columbia
Two premier Government of Canada Research & Development organizations are partnering to reduce energy intensity and green house gasses (GHG) in oil production. This partnership was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI) and the Department of Natural Resources Canada's CanmetENERGY in Devon, Alberta.
CanmetENERGY conducts cutting-edge research and development on oil sands and heavy oil extraction, processing and upgrading, with an emphasis on environmental technologies. NRC-IFCI is a recognized world leader for research, development and testing of fuel cells and related clean energy technologies.
"By combining our complementary expertise in the traditional and clean energy sectors we can help green oil refining processes, significantly reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions" said NRC-IFCI Director General Maja Veljkovic. "This strategic partnership applies NRC's core fuel cell capabilities to the development, demonstration and commercialization of integrated clean energy solutions."
NRC-IFCI is already collaborating closely with CanmetENERGY with funding from NRCan's Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD) program to develop novel materials and catalysts that can improve the quality of heavy oil upgrading products, and to improve understanding of hydrocarbon chemical and thermophysical properties of the oil sand diesel fuels.
"This partnership will allow us to explore new more cost effective ways for CO2 capture through development of novel materials," said Hassan Hamza, Director General of CanmetENERGY.
NRCan's PERD Program directly supports energy research and development conducted in Canada by federal departments and agencies, and is concerned with all aspects of energy supply and use. NRC-IFCI and NRCan have collaborated previously on programs and projects related to fuel cells, components and applications. This collaboration also included the Hydrogen HighwayTM and the development of hydrogen fuelling station performance and verification guidelines.
About NRC and NRC-IFCI
Canada's National Research Council (NRC) is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology, and was recently ranked among the Top 10 government organizations and NGOs for scientific output in fuel-cell research in the world. The NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI) supports Canadian leadership in fuel cell and clean energy technology by addressing industry-defined R&D and commercialization priorities.
About NRCan and CanmetENERGY in Devon, Alberta
Natural Resources Canada is dedicated to developing and deploying energy efficient, alternative energy and renewable energy technologies. CanmetENERGY in Devon focuses on research and development on oil sands and heavy oil extraction, processing and upgrading, with an emphasis on environmental technologies.
