InnoTech Alberta’s Aref Najafi (left), Bonnie Drozdowski (center), and Alberta Innovates’ Mark Summers (right).
InnoTech Alberta is at the forefront of accelerating carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) solutions, ensuring industry has the choices needed to meet emissions targets and reduce costs. With new funding from Natural Resources Canada ($2.5M), the Government of Alberta ($1M), and industry partners ($1M), we are advancing an innovative amine capture technology that has the potential to expand CCUS adoption.
Amine-based technologies have been a key approach to capturing CO2 from industrial emissions for decades. They work by passing emissions through a liquid amine solution that absorbs CO2. The solution is then heated to release the CO2, allowing it to be captured and stored. Traditionally, the process requires significant energy usage, but InnoTech Alberta’s new approach replaces conventional heating with microwave energy and an advanced water lean solvent, releasing CO2 faster and at lower temperatures. This breakthrough lowers energy consumption, reduces water usage and cuts operating costs— addressing key barriers to widespread adoption. By de-risking emerging CO2 capture technologies, InnoTech Alberta is increasing choice and encouraging industry investment in sustainable solutions.
“The Amine Intensification Process developed by our team at InnoTech is intended to reduce energy requirements by up to 75 per cent, which is an enormous savings in environmental and operating costs. We’re anticipating the demonstration of the process at a pilot-scale with a one ton per day capacity in 2026” said Bonnie Drozdowski, Executive Director, Environment, Bio-industrial and Clean Technologies at InnoTech Alberta.
This project builds on InnoTech Alberta’s legacy of world-class research and development in CCUS. Our Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre (ACCTC) in Calgary is one of only a handful of such facilities in North America, providing a vital testing ground for new carbon capture methods. The ACCTC helps industry and technology developers find new uses for carbon captured from emissions and move technologies to commercialization quicker, ensuring they are ready for large-scale deployment.
By investing in cutting-edge technologies like microwave-assisted amine capture, we are expanding the range of options available and helping position Alberta as a global CCUS leader.