The province announced a funding partnership with Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) Monday to provide new solutions to extend the lifecycle of certain recyclable materials.
The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program will provide up to $58 million through the ERA and the province’s Circular Economy Challenge for emissions-focused projects.
“If successful, these projects have the potential to create about 1,800 jobs and cut emissions by up to four million tonnes by 2050 — equal to offsetting emissions from about one million homes,” the province said in a news release Monday.
The purpose of the challenge is to extend the lifecycle of products, such as tires and asphalt shingles by repurposing them, “eliminating a waste stream that is very difficult to manage,” said Environment Minister Sonya Savage at a news conference in Calgary.
“It’s all about shifting traditional resource and waste challenges into new opportunities.”
The ERA went through a partnership selection process, and all chosen partners are required to publicly report their final outcomes.
The 10 chosen companies including, Northstar Clean Technologies, will use their funds to move forward with their projects — regardless of what stage they are at.
Northstar CEO, Aidan Mills, said the company plans to build the largest commercial asphalt shingle processing plant in North America in Calgary as part of its project.
The processing plant — which will be commissioned in the second quarter of next year — will allow for 40,000 tonnes of shingles to divert from landfills and land instead at the processing plant, Mills said. This will allow the company to produce around 10,000 tonnes of asphalt and fibre, respectively, and 20,000 tonnes of aggregate, which will all go back for industrial use.