NGIF INDUSTRY GRANTS ANNOUNCES ITS ROUND 7 INNOVATION CHALLENGE CLEANTECH STARTUP FINALISTS WITH $2.48 MILLION IN FUNDING

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NGIF INDUSTRY GRANTS ANNOUNCES ITS ROUND 7 INNOVATION CHALLENGE CLEANTECH STARTUP FINALISTS WITH $2.48 MILLION IN FUNDING


July 14, 2022

OTTAWA, ON (July 14, 2022) NGIF Industry Grants announces its finalists for the Round 7 Innovation Challenge. Hydrogen, energy efficiency, waste-heat utilization, water management, and transportation technology development projects are receiving funding from NGIF Industry Grants in this round. Ten projects have been selected for a total of $2,485,799 in grant funding to advance technology innovations in the natural gas production, midstream, and distribution sectors. The approved projects have a combined eligible project value of more than $22 million.

The competition was launched in June 2021 for cleantech startups with solutions that can create value and mitigate environmental impacts for the natural gas industry in Canada. ATCO Gas Ltd., Enbridge Gas Inc., FortisBC Inc., SaskEnergy Inc., Pacific Northern Gas Ltd., Birchcliff Energy Ltd., Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cutbank Dawson Gas Resources Ltd. (a 100% subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation), Perpetual Energy Inc., PETRONAS Energy Canada Ltd., Shell Canada, Tidewater Midstream Ltd., and Tourmaline Oil Corp. will be supporting the industry grants for these projects from the upstream and downstream natural gas sector.

The projects approved will advance their clean technology development through pilots, field trials, or demonstrations. The list of approved projects is:

WASTE-HEAT UTILIZATION
SMARTER ALLOYS
ONTARIO
Prototype testing and development of a modular 5 – 10 kW Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) core and actuator
Total Eligible Project Value: $3,270,000 | NGIF Approved Funding: $304,058

HYDROGEN
MOLTEN ALLOY
ALBERTA
Prototype development for methane decomposition to selectively produce CO2-free hydrogen and separable solid carbon material
Total Eligible Project Value: $1,260,000 | NGIF Approved Funding: $411,371.10

HYDROGEN
NUIONIC TECHNOLOGIES
ALBERTA
Prototype testing of Microwave Catalytic Reformer demonstrating industrial microwave technology to eliminate combustion
Total Eligible Project Value: $2,127,000| NGIF Approved Funding: $316,841.53

WATER MANAGEMENT
SCFCan
ALBERTA
FEED for carbon dioxide extraction system for the recovery of oil from drill cuttings for direct reuse
Total Eligible Project Value: $240,000 | NGIF Approved Funding: $100,000.00

WATER MANAGEMENT
SALACIA TECHNOLOGIES
ALBERTA
Prototype development and testing of brine and produced water treatment technology through solvent extraction
Total Eligible Project Value: $3,860,000 | NGIF Approved Funding: $316,036.72

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
APOGEE CERAMICS
ONTARIO
Prototype development of a 3 kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell cogeneration heat and power appliance
Total Eligible Project Value: $1,660,000 | NGIF Approved Funding: $160,000.00

TRANSPORTATION
CLEAN ENERGY FUELS
ALBERTA
Commercial Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Station and Truck Demonstration
Total Eligible Project Value: $4,740,000 | NGIF Approved Funding: $309,782.51

WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
GREAT NORTHERN POWER
ALBERTA
Field pilot demonstration of the “EXPANDER-175” – a 175 kW, modular, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery system for natural gas compressors
Total Eligible Project Value: $1,600,000 | NGIF Approved Funding: $50,000.00

WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
GRU ORGANICS
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Field pilot of an indoor greenhouse project that will utilize waste heat to facilitate the production of fruits and vegetables
Total Eligible Project Value: $2,445,419 | NGIF Approved Funding: $248,000.00

HYDROGEN
GRADIENT THERMAL
ALBERTA
Prototype development of a hydrogen-fueled end-user heating appliance.
Total Eligible Project Value: $1,100,600 | NGIF Approved Funding: $269,709.00

“I am excited for our finalists. They each present a unique solution that can enable the delivery of more sustainable and responsible natural gas in Canada,” said John Adams, NGIF Capital Corporation President and CEO. “NGIF Industry Grants and its focus on startups de-risking their clean technologies through field trials and pilots is a part of NGIF’s integrated model of industry validation, customer creation, and market commercialization. Startups with clean technology solutions underpinning our sector will increase the competitive performance of Canada’s natural gas molecule.”

“When the Canadian Gas Association launched NGIF, we had a vision of bringing the entire natural gas value chain together to advance innovation and environmental performance for the sector. These partnerships across the value chain are integral to NGIF’s work,” said Timothy M. Egan, President and CEO, Canadian Gas Association and Chair, NGIF Capital Corporation. “I’m excited to see the diversity of projects receiving funding in this round of challenge and I am looking forward to seeing how these solutions will enhance the natural gas sector to benefit Canadians and their continued access to clean and affordable energy.”


About NGIF Industry Grants
NGIF Industry Grants is a first-of-kind, industry-led grant organization to fund early-stage startups developing solutions to environmental and other challenges facing Canada’s natural gas sector. NGIF Industry Grants develops, demonstrates and de-risks these technology solutions through field trials and pilot projects to drive innovation and support environmental goals in Canada. NGIF Industry Grants’ investment focus is on existing natural gas production, transmission, distribution, storage, and end-use applications, as well as projects that will lead to the expanded production of emerging gaseous fuels like renewable natural gas and hydrogen. The organization has built a portfolio of startups, trusted partnerships with government for co-funding opportunities, and a robust technical evaluation investment model. NGIF Industry Grants is operated by NGIF Capital Corporation.

About NGIF Capital Corporation
NGIF Capital Corporation is a Canadian venture capital (VC) firm offering grant and equity financing for startups that deliver solutions to the environmental and other challenges facing the natural gas sector. NGIF Capital Corporation is unique in how it brings Canada’s energy industry leadership to every investment. Like other VCs, it takes new companies and their ideas from concept to commercialization. Unlike other VCs, NGIF Capital Corporation has strong connections to every part of the gas value chain, from production through to end-use, offering it a means to test, develop, and accelerate the commercial implementation of innovative gas technology wherever it fits in the sector. The model benefits consumers, investors, and Canadian society as a whole. NGIF Capital Corporation operates NGIF Industry Grants (the original Natural Gas Innovation Fund), the NGIF Emissions Testing Centre, and NGIF Cleantech Ventures. NGIF Capital Corporation is wholly owned by CGA Enterprises, a venture of the Canadian Gas Association.

About Canadian Gas Association
The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) is the voice of Canada’s gaseous energy delivery industry, including natural gas, renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen. CGA membership includes energy distribution and transmission companies, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers of goods and services to the industry. CGA’s utility members are Canadian-owned and active in eight provinces and one territory. CGA members meet 38 per cent of Canada’s energy needs through a network of over 573,000 kilometres of underground infrastructure. The versatility and resiliency of this infrastructure allows it to deliver an ever-changing gas supply mix to over 7.3 million customer locations representing approximately two-thirds of Canadians. CGA members ensure Canadians get the affordable, reliable, clean gaseous energy they want and need. CGA is also working to constantly improve that gaseous energy offering, by driving forward innovation through the Natural Gas Innovation Fund (NGIF).


Media and Fund Information:

John Adams
President and CEO, NGIF Capital Corporation
Managing Partner, NGIF Cleantech Ventures
613-748-0057
[email protected]

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At NGIF, we invest in companies who are leading in the development of clean technologies for energy and who have the potential to demonstrate significant and quantifiable environmental and economic returns.

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