Grants Support Work to Create Carbon-Neutral Future
A laboratory at Dalhousie University’s agricultural campus in Truro is pictured. Funding was announced today, April 30, for nine research projects that support hydrogen fuel development or target emissions. (Communications Nova Scotia / File)
NOTE: A list of grant recipients and project descriptions follows this release.
Nine Nova Scotian leaders in clean technology research and development are receiving funding from the Province for projects that support the development of hydrogen fuel, as well as others that target emissions produced by boats and farms.
“Nova Scotia benefits from a strong network of academic and private-sector researchers, innovators, engineers and other experts who are focused on developing the technologies of the future – the technologies that will help us achieve net zero by 2050 and become a global leader in clean energy,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Timothy Halman. “Government’s role is to make sure they have the support they need to bring new solutions from the lab to the marketplace so we can achieve a carbon-neutral, sustainable future.”
In 2021, the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act committed Nova Scotia to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and to moving to clean, renewable energy. To support these goals, the Province announced $3 million in funding last year for Net Zero Atlantic to administer the Net Zero Emerging Concepts and Technologies Research Program, which funds research and development projects to reduce carbon emissions. Today, April 30, Minister Halman announced that $255,846 of that funding will support nine projects.
Quotes:
“Advancing Atlantic Canada to a net-zero future requires a full team effort. We need scientists, engineers and inventors from all sectors to explore innovative ideas, identify the gaps in knowledge and find practical concepts and technologies to solve tiny to big problems. And we are fortunate to have Minister Halman be the first supporter of our research program and the many diverse projects it enables.”
— Tim Bachiu, Director of Research, Net Zero Atlantic
“The support from Net Zero Atlantic’s ECT program has been critical for us to understand the potential for Acuicy to help companies in the agri-food sector to reduce carbon emissions. We’ve been able to test our software with several companies in Nova Scotia along the agriculture value chain from farm to retail. Hearing their feedback is helping us design our software so businesses can easily see the financial ROI that goes hand-in-hand with cutting carbon from their operations.”
— Allison Murray, co-founder and CEO, Acuicy Inc. (funding recipient)
“The eco-friendly fisheries project funded by Net Zero Atlantic and the Province of Nova Scotia will enable us to play a crucial role in transforming the commercial fisheries practice. Based on insights from the harvesters and gear manufacturers, we are prepared to offer real-time streaming of information on the status of a fishing net to the bridge of a vessel in a cost-effective manner. This, in turn, will lead to substantial savings in fuel, minimize bycatch and mitigate damage to the sensitive ocean ecosystem.”
— Ulaş Güntürkün, founder and CEO, Marecomms Inc. (funding recipient)
Quick Facts:
- Net Zero Atlantic is a non-profit organization working on the transition to a carbon-neutral future
- Nova Scotia has a legislated goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and has one of the strongest greenhouse gas reduction targets in Canada – to be 53 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030
- the program advances actions 13 and 63 of Nova Scotia’s climate plan, specifically research on new processes that can improve natural carbon sinks – like soil and forests, which absorb carbon dioxide – and new clean technologies and practices
Additional Resources:
Net Zero Atlantic: https://netzeroatlantic.ca/
Nova Scotia’s climate risk assessment – Weathering What’s Ahead: Climate Change Risk and Nova Scotia’s Well-being: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/climate-change-risk-report.pdf
Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/64th_1st/3rd_read/b057.htm
Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf
Nova Scotia’s 2030 Clean Power Plan: https://beta.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/documents/1-3582/nova-scotia-clean-power-plan-presentation-en.pdf
News release – Funding for Research and Development to Reduce Carbon Emissions: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2023/04/17/funding-research-and-development-reduce-carbon-emissions
The Province has provided $255,846 in grants for the following nine projects:
- Acuicy Inc., Halifax – work to pilot its software which helps to decarbonize agricultural supply chains
- Geniece Hallet-Tapley, St. Francis Xavier University – sustainable hydrogen generation research
- Mason MacDonald, faculty of agriculture at Dalhousie University, Truro – work to sequester carbon produced by balsam fir Christmas tree farms
- Michael Pegg, Dalhousie University – develop a new heating and electricity system for use in homes that are powered by both hydrogen and natural gas
- Mita Dasog, Dalhousie University – research on how sunlight can be used to break down plastic and produce hydrogen as an alternative fuel source
- SailTimer Inc., Halifax – using crowdsourced weather information for research to measure emissions reductions from ships
- Suresh Raja, Dalhousie University – develop an artificial intelligence benchmarking tool to reduce emissions from dairy farms
- Alison Thompson, Dalhousie University -- research to detect hydrogen leaks in pipes and storage areas
- Zen Energy, Dartmouth – work to develop net-zero marine technologies