As Canada transitions to a low-carbon future, investments in clean technology are a priority for the federal government.
The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced $1.89 million in funding to accelerate the development of innovative technologies that will reduce fossil fuel consumption and decrease greenhouse gas emissions at Domtar’s Windsor mill.
“For more than 150 years, the pulp and paper sector has marked the development of the Windsor and Estrie regions,” said Bibeau. “The announcement of our government’s funding to Domtar to advance its biofuels and bioproducts research projects recognizes the company’s innovative and progressive spirit of sustainable development while helping to strengthen the 850 jobs at the mill.”
The objective of the project is to transform woody biomass into value-added bio-products — including advanced biofuels — leading to increased energy efficiency at the mill.
“Domtar’s partnership with Natural Resources Canada is playing an integral role in helping Domtar leverage existing paper mill supply chains to continue to expand its capabilities around transforming biomass — which has traditionally been burned to provide energy to a mill — into a wide range of industrial applications as a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to petroleum and other fossil fuels,” says Mark DeAndrea, Vice-President of Domtar Biomaterials.
This research and development project supports product diversification, increases revenue, reduces the facility’s environmental footprint and creates stable job opportunities in the community. On a global scale, as was committed during the G20 Energy Ministers Meeting, it is a demonstration of Canada’s expertise to deliver clean energy solutions for the future as a means to reduce energy use and costs and achieve our climate goals.
The project is funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy Innovation Program, which received $49 million over three years to support clean energy innovation and will ensure clean energy technologies are widely affordable and help drive economic growth, leading to a low-carbon economy with good, clean jobs.
