Cleantech
Committed to transitioning to a low-emission economy, Canada is collaborating with stakeholders and jurisdictions across the country and around the world to bring innovative and competitive clean technology to market. Canada’s low R&D costs, highly skilled workforce, wealth of natural resources and support for innovation make it attractive for clean technology development and commercialization.
We’ve found the labour force is extraordinarily skilled across a broad array of disciplines...We’ve also found the policy environment and goals to be remarkably clearly articulated, and that policy is implemented in a consistent way through Canada.
Renewable energy in Canada
Canada’s commitment to renewable energy is clear: the country gets 67% of its electricity and 17.3% of its energy from renewable sources—a stark contrast to the world’s 13.6% average. Canada is also the world’s second largest producer of hydroelectricity.
Canada’s total renewable energy production
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| Hydro | 67.1% |
|---|---|
| Solid biomass | 23.1% |
| Wind | 5.3% |
| Ethanol | 1.7% |
| Municipal waste and landfill gas | 1.2% |
| Solar | 0.5% |
Water technologies in Canada
Canada is a leader in the development of innovative water technologies that are helping to solve global water challenges, with exceptional clusters in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.
Ontario-based Trojan UV has led the development of water treatment solutions using environmentally friendly ultraviolet (UV) light. It has the largest installed base of UV systems in operation on the planet. The company’s UV water treatment solutions were adopted by Chicago and New York City.
Hydrogen and fuel cells in Canada
Canada is recognized internationally as a global leader in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, with a leading presence in British Columbia. The industry is one of Canada’s most promising technology-based export sectors, with approximately 90% of the country’s hydrogen and fuel cell technology being exported.
In 2019, Air Liquide announced the construction of a 20 megawatts proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolyzer in Bécancour, Québec. The investment will increase the facility’s capacity by 50% and the new PEM electrolyzer will be the largest of its kind in the world.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in Canada
Canada is a CCUS technology leader with large scale cutting-edge projects in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Nova Scotia-based CarbonCure retrofits concrete plants with an innovative technology that recycles carbon dioxide to make stronger, greener concrete. The company’s technology is currently operational in multiple concrete plants across North America, including several of the world’s largest cement and concrete companies.
Investing in cleantech in Canada
Talent
Canada has one of the world’s best-educated talent pools. With nearly 58% of Canadians aged 25–64 having graduated from post-secondary institutions, Canada ranks as the OECD’s most highly educated country. Of those graduates, 2.8+ million hold a STEM degree, making Canada a prime destination for tech and science related industries. The availability of engineers and scientists here, ranked 4th in the world, will take your business to the next level.
Incentives
The Clean Growth Hub is a whole-of-government focal point for clean technology focused on supporting companies and projects across Canada, coordinating federal programs and tracking results of federal investments in clean technology. Its team of experts provide advice to clean technology producers and users by helping them identify and understand the programs and services most relevant to their needs.
The Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance (ACCA) allows businesses to immediately write off the cost of specified clean energy equipment as well as machinery and equipment used for the manufacturing and processing of goods.
The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program provides income-tax credits and refunds for expenditures on eligible R&D activity in Canada.
The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) provides funding to support innovation in Canada’s leading industries. Carbon Engineering recently secured $25M in funding from SIF to develop technologies that extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to produce clean synthetic fuels.
You’re in good company
Recent Investment Announcements
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Greengate Power Corporation and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners have entered into an agreement to fund the further development and construction of the Travers Solar project. Located in Vulcan County, Alberta, Travers Solar is expected to be Canada’s largest operating solar energy project, with an estimated capital cost of $500 million. It is anticipated to provide electricity for more than 100,000 homes and to create more than 500 full-time jobs during construction.
EDF Renewables
EDF Renewables, a subsidiary of France-based Electricite de France, has announced plans to build a 201.6-megawatt wind farm in Cypress County, Alberta. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, while commercial operations are to be launched by 2021.
BHE
BHE Canada, a subsidiary of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy, will break ground on a $200-million, 117.6-megawatt wind farm in southeastern Alberta next year. The Rattlesnake Ridge Wind project will be located southwest of Medicine Hat and produce enough energy to supply the equivalent of 79,000 homes.
Innogy
Renewable energy company Innogy, a subsidiary of Germany-based RWE, has announced plans to develop two solar projects in Alberta. Construction on the 30-MWp Prairie Sunlight II and 27-MWp Prairie Sunlight III projects is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2019. Commercial operations are expected by the end of 2019.
Solargise
Solargise Canada selected Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Québec, for the completion of Phase 1 of its solar panel plant project. Estimated at approximately $950 million, this initial phase involves the construction of buildings dedicated to the manufacture of polysilicon ingots, silicon semiconductor wafers, photovoltaic (PV) cells as well as plastic and glassless PV modules.