The Natural Gas Innovation Fund Announces the Finalists from its Round 5 Funding Competition

December 15, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario
Natural Gas Innovation Fund

Today, the Natural Gas Innovation Fund™ (NGIF) announces the finalists from Round 5 of its funding competition for clean technologies for natural gas production.

NGIF’s $3-million funding call targeted clean technology solutions for the production of natural gas. We are now pleased to announce the approval of $1,935,210 in project funding for eight upstream finalists in five of NGIF’s cleantech categories below. Funding for all finalists is subject to a negotiated contribution agreement.

A. Hydrogen:

• Ekona Power Inc. is a company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that was approved for $500,000 for the development and field testing of a Tri-Generation Pyrolysis (TGP) system for low-cost, clean hydrogen production from natural gas.
• New Wave Hydrogen, Inc. (formerly Standing Wave Reformers, Inc.) is a company based in Calgary, Alberta, that was approved for $872,017 for the development and demonstration of supersonic compression-based natural gas reforming for clean hydrogen production.

B. Carbon Capture and Utilization:

• Hyperion Global Energy is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and was approved for $770,519 for the development and demonstration of a tandem carbon recycling system for carbon capture and utilization from exhaust flue gas stream.

C. Methane Emissions Reduction:

• Kinitics Automation is based in Richmond, British Columbia and was approved for $209,081 for the demonstration of a shape memory alloy-based valve actuator for zero bleed valves at natural gas production facilities.
• Packair Industries Incorporated is based in Calgary, Alberta and was approved for $85,875 for the demonstration and field trial of methane gas emission mitigation through an advanced instrument air compressor.
• Westgen Technologies Inc. is Calgary-based company that was approved for $136,446 for the demonstration of a proprietary low-cost, remote power generation and air compression system to eliminate fuel gas pneumatics and power remote well sites.

D. Fuel Switching with Natural Gas

• Zedcor is a Calgary-based company that was approved for $76,366 for the demonstration and field pilot of “Mobile CNG Storage” units to displace current diesel-based power generation with natural gas generators.

E. Enhanced Natural Gas solutions:

• Modern Wellbore Solutions Ltd. is a Calgary-based company that was approved for $51,573 for a pilot demonstration of a multilateral junction tool assembly at natural gas production sites for reduced emissions.

NGIF collaborated with its Trusted Partner, Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), to leverage funding opportunities. In a parallel process, ERA committed over $58 million in funding to 20 projects through its Natural Gas Challenge. Five of NGIF’s Round 5 finalists — Kinitics Automation, Westgen Technologies Inc., Ekona Power Inc., Modern Wellbore Solutions, Standing Wave Reformers, Inc. — were also awarded support through ERA’s funding competition.

NGIF is currently funded by five natural gas utilities (ATCO Gas Ltd., Enbridge Gas Inc., FortisBC Energy Inc., Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. and SaskEnergy) and seven natural gas producers (Birchcliff Energy Ltd., Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Chevron Canada Limited, Perpetual Energy Inc., PETRONAS Energy Canada Ltd., Shell Canada Energy, and Tourmaline Oil Corp). All of these investing organizations are dedicated to cleantech innovation for Canada’s natural gas sector.

Please visit www.ngif.ca for more information.

Quotes:
“With each new funding round, I am excited to see momentum growing for cleantech solutions in the natural gas sector. These start-up companies represented in this recent round of finalists have the potential to bring to market clean technologies that advance the environmental and economic performance of our sector.”

John Adams, Managing Director, Natural Gas Innovation Fund

“The trusted partnerships NGIF has been able to secure with groups like Emissions Reduction Alberta are important to the advancement of the work these start-ups are doing in the natural gas industry. When we first started NGIF, we were focused on the end-use of natural gas. Now, with the inclusion of natural gas production, we have extended our reach to the whole value chain.  It is exciting to see the range of clean technologies that are emerging as a result — a growing opportunity for the industry, and Canada as a whole.”

Timothy M. Egan, President and CEO, Canadian Gas Association

“Through this collaboration, we were better able to identify promising technologies, leverage funds, and streamline processes to help advance innovation across the natural gas value chain. This is exactly what the Trusted Partner approach is designed to achieve.”

Steve MacDonald, CEO, Emissions Reductions Alberta (ERA)

About NGIF:
NGIF is an industry-led, industry-funded, granting organization created by the Canadian Gas Association that seeks to accelerate cleantech innovation in the production, pipeline transmission, and end-use of natural gas. In so doing, we aim to improve the environmental and economic performance of all in the sector. Our belief is that affordable, reliable, environmentally sound natural gas is a foundational fuel for Canada’s long-term well-being.

Associated Links:
Natural Gas Innovation Fund
Canadian Gas Association
NGIF LinkedIn
NGIF Twitter

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