Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland appeared at the Glacier Gas Plant to announce the beginning of a landmark carbon capture project in the Peace Country.
Recently, the Government of Canada announced a $200 million investment in Calgary-based cleantech company Entropy Incorporated that led to the establishment of new carbon capture technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a local natural gas facility.
Vice President of Policy and Carbon Markets at Entropy Erik Petursson explains the new tech is the first of its kind, marking a significant step for Alberta’s oil and gas sector in reducing emissions.
“[It is] the first of its kind carbon capture that’s made in Canada technology that has never been deployed on post-combustion carbon capture.”
He says the new technology captures emissions before they are released into the atmosphere, before being placed under immense pressure to keep the CO2 in a liquid state, and eventually being buried 2,000 feet underground where it will stay for “millions of years.”
Freeland says her government is “proud” of the work being done in the Peace Country to help Canada move forward in a net-zero economy, and hopes to see the new technology rolled out nationwide.
“This is another first in the whole world, and it is one of the pieces that is making this work, this project, this technology financially viable,” she says.
According to Freeland, once the new tech is operational in 2026, emissions at the Glacier facility will be reduced by approximately 2.8 million tonnes over 15 years, or roughly 160,000 tonnes per year, while providing more than 1,200 jobs for Northwestern Albertans during that time.
The Deputy Prime Minister spoke on carbon pricing in Canada and insists that Entropy’s work to reduce emissions is an example of how the federal price on carbon is creating jobs and driving investment into clean energy.
“It’s creating a revenue stream and an incentive for businesses like this one here to lower their emissions,” she says.
While the price on carbon remains a controversial issue for many in Alberta, Freeland says residents, especially in the Peace Country, should be proud of the work being done to reduce emissions in the region. She adds that the implementation of Entropy’s new carbon capture tech “guarantees” Alberta’s future as the federal government continues to work on reducing emissions across the country.
“What this means is the next chapter in the future of the natural gas industry in Alberta and in Canada,” she says. “It’s jobs today, and even more importantly, from my perspective, it is guaranteeing a future for Northern Alberta, for Alberta, for Canada in a net zero world.”
Ultimately, both Petursson and Freeland agree that the rollout of the new tech marks a significant step in carbon emission reduction while providing Northwestern Alberta with the first “clean” electrons on the power grid sourced entirely from clean natural gas.
