News Release
Burnaby
Tuesday, June 11, 2024 4:00 PM
People and communities are benefiting from reduced emissions, cleaner air and more jobs in the clean economy thanks to investments in new, clean technology in local industries.
“The CleanBC Industry Fund is an important tool that accelerates development and use of new, cleaner technologies that help grow our local economy, support a more sustainable future for British Columbians and continue our collective fight against climate change,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Clean industry is the future and we are seizing this opportunity to work together with industry and be an international leader in this growing market.”
The CleanBC Industry Fund invests carbon taxes paid by large industries back into clean-technology projects that reduce emissions and create clean jobs.
“British Columbia is well-positioned to lead the next global wave of innovation, development and commercialization in clean transportation,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Today’s CleanBC Industry Fund recipients are wonderful examples of local industries taking action to reduce emissions, while creating new clean jobs for people.”
This year, the CleanBC Industry Fund is providing a total of $32.6 million to 12 large industry projects to help reduce emissions through clean technology. Applications are open for the fifth intake of projects.
Lafarge Canada is receiving more than $7 million to add additional infrastructure to allowincreased co-processing of alternative fuels, reducing the use of fossil fuels at the Richmond Cement Plant. This builds on a $5-million contribution to Lafarge in 2023 to support the use of captured carbon dioxide.
“Industries play a critical role in addressing climate change and protecting the environment for future generations,” said Brad Kohl, president and CEO, Lafarge Canada, Western Canada. “We are committed to pursuing initiatives to decarbonize across our operations and are eager to see the advancements made by other recipients of the CleanBC Industry Fund.”
The City of Vancouver will receive more than $6 million to capture more methane and reduce fugitive methane emissions at its Vancouver landfill. This is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 716,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) by 2033, and builds on continued work through the CleanBC Industry Fund to collect and re-use landfill gas at the facility.
“We are excited to receive this funding, which gives us the opportunity to lead the way in making our landfills more sustainable by reducing methane emissions,” said Ken Sim, mayor of Vancouver. “Only by working together can we take this important step to protect our environment.”
Since 2019, more than $244 million has been invested back into industry, reducing more than nine million tonnes of emissions over 10 years, the same as removing almost 240,000 cars from the road each year during that time.
The Government of B.C. continues to workwith industrial operators to deliver on commitments through the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030.
Quick Facts:
- CleanBC Industry Fund projects are selected through a competitive process that evaluates a number of project elements such as the business case, cost-effectiveness of emission reductions and wider impact of technology advancement.
- To be eligible, applicants must have paid carbon tax and have emissions of more than 10,000 tCO2e per year under the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act.
- Applications for new CleanBC Industry Fund projects are open.
- New in 2024 is the CleanBC and BC Hydro Industrial Electrification Program, which supports large industrial low-carbon electrification projects that require a new or upgraded connection to the BC Hydro integrated grid.
- Funding timelines have also been extended from three years to five years.
Learn More:
To learn more about CleanBC Industry Fund and to see the full list of projects, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change/industry/cleanbc-industry-fund
To read the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, visit: https://www.cleanbc.ca
A backgrounder follows.
Media Contacts
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Media Relations
250 953-3834
envmedia@gov.bc.ca
Backgrounders
Facts about the CleanBC Industry Fund
In 2023, 12 projects were approved under three funding streams for a total of $32.6 million.
Emissions Performance Stream:
City of Vancouver
The City of Vancouver at its Vancouver Landfill facility in the Mainland/Southwest region of B.C. will expand the current landfill gas-collection capacity using horizontal gas collectors and vertical gas wells to increase the amount of methane captured from the landfill and reduce fugitive methane emissions. Collected landfill gas will be used beneficially as renewable natural gas for energy or, when necessary, flared.
Funding: $6,146,250
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Lafarge at its Richmond Cement Plant in the Mainland/Southwest region of B.C. will upgrade the facility to accept and process additional alternative fuels, which will reduce combustion of natural gas.
Funding: $7,294,500
Innovation Accelerator Stream:
Skookumchuck Pulp Inc. (Paper Excellence)
Skookumchuck Pulp at its Skookumchuck Mill facility in the Kootenay region of B.C. will demonstrate the direct firing of pulverized wood into its lime kiln to displace the combustion of natural gas without compromising lime production, quality or reliability.
Funding: $17,175,000
Feasibility Studies:
Canfor Pulp Ltd.
Canfor Pulp will explore the potential of renewable diesel as an alternative fuel to reduce emissions in the pulp industry’s transportation of raw materials. This study will inform the forestry sector and policymakers about the costs, risks and benefits associated with future emissions reduction projects in the industry.
Funding: $85,608
Catalyst Paper, Port Alberni operation
Catalyst Paper will investigate options to enhance biofuel delivery at the coastal site. Increasing biofuel steam production can reduce natural gas consumption in its power boiler No. 4 and auxiliary boilers.
Funding: $51,008
Catalyst Paper, Port Alberni operation
Catalyst Paper will investigate the opportunity of installing a heat-recovery system in the power boiler exhaust at its site. Recovered heat can offset the heat generated from fuel combustion.
Funding: $93,675
Creative Energy Vancouver Platforms
Creative Energy will provide a detailed assessment of the costs and uncertainties associated with converting the existing steam distribution system to a hot-water system. This assessment will help clarify design details to reduce energy losses and improve district-heating efficiency.
Funding: $397,500
Creative Energy Vancouver Platforms
Creative Energy will investigate the potential for installing a deep geothermal system (Eavor-Loop) for Creative Energy’s Core district energy system in Vancouver. This exploration can guide future plans of using sustainable geothermal energy at the facility.
Funding: $190,000
NorthRiver Midstream Inc.
NorthRiver Midstream will evaluate trade-offs between two decarbonization pathways at its McMahon and West Doe gas-processing facilities. Advancing work to implement electrification and carbon capture and sequestration will reduce emissions from gas-fired turbines and compressors at the sites. This study can guide facilities towardeffective strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Funding: $180,000
Skookumchuck Pulp Inc.
Skookumchuk Pulp will investigate the use of high-temperature pyrolysis on waste forestry residuals from the B.C. Interior to produce high-quality/caloric content syngas while producing high-quality biochar. Syngas can be used to displace natural gas combusted at the facility for heat and electricity generation.
Funding: $110,850
Teck Resources Ltd.
Teck Resources will investigate the use of plasma torches within the facility’s smelter. The use of this technology can lead to significant reductions in coal usage and smelter emissions.
Funding: $490,000
Teck Resources Ltd.
Teck Resources will investigate the use of sulphur as a fuel in the facility’s lead smelter. This innovation can reduce the combustion of coal in the largest furnace at the facility, resulting in lower emissions while producing additional sulphuric acid product for sale.
Funding: $341,250
