$15M competition challenges teams to cut costs of Alberta-made carbon fibre
More than $15 million has been awarded to projects aimed at cutting the costs of creating versatile, high-value carbon fibre from Alberta bitumen.
Wednesday, five teams were announced as the winners of phase three of the Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge, an initiative by Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reductions Canada.
Bitumen is a heavy oil extracted from Alberta's oil sands. Currently, around 90 per cent of that bitumen is used for fuels, like gasoline and diesel.
It can also be used to make carbon fibre, a strong, lightweight material used for products including auto parts, plastics, building materials, and protective clothing and sporting materials.
Bryan Helfenbaum with Alberta Innovates said the competition was designed to find new ways of making bitumen into fibre. A focus on fibre, he added, would reduce emissions and protect the value of Alberta's oil sands as Canada looks toward a greener future.
"There is debate about the longevity of transportation fuels as we move towards an electrified society," Helfenbaum said. "This idea of moving towards materials gives longevity to the opportunity, it increases the value of what we're making because materials are worth far more than the fuels are worth."
The winning projects are all located in Western Canada and include the Edmonton-based Thread Innovations. It will use its $4-million award to take its carbon fibre manufacturing process from the lab to a pre-commercial scale.
Theo Zunich, Thread Innovations vice president, said his team wants to make the fibre available enough to be used by other industries in place of steel, wood, aluminum and plastic.
"Right now, carbon fibre is an under-utilized product because it's too costly, it's too emissions intensive and it's difficult to get reliable supply. We can solve all three of those problems," Zunich said.
Current demand for carbon fibre is restricted by its high cost, and the competition mandates that teams must be able to cut the cost of the produced fibre by 50 per cent.
The five winners will have 36 months to complete their projects using funding from Alberta Innovates and Emissions Reductions Alberta (ERA).
CEO of Alberta Innovates Laura Kilcrease said carbon fibre is a promising new opportunity for the province's energy industry.
"As we transition away from burning bitumen as a fuel, Alberta is well positioned to lead this next frontier," she said. "We’re proud to be a driving force behind this novel technology and we can’t wait to see what comes next."
Alberta Innovates launched the $26-million Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge in 2020. At that time, the organization estimated that carbon fibre production could double or triple Alberta's oil sand revenue over the next 15 years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.