Funding innovation
We're excited to be a part of developing technologies that focus on energy efficiencies, reduction of air emissions, conservation and recycling of water, and protection of groundwater, land and habitat.
Many of these new technologies are at a stage requiring funding for development and commercialization. That's where we come in. Cenovus establishes financial partnerships to explore the benefits of various technological developments. In addition to our current, multi-year projects listed below, we continue to seek projects that meet our guidelines and business objectives.
Our current funded projects
REM Technology/UBC
With the help of Cenovus, REM Technology Inc., along with the University of British Columbia's Clean Energy Research Centre, is developing two technologies designed to improve thermal efficiency and reduce emissions from natural-gas fuelled engines. Cenovus is financing the development of the technology.
Hifi Engineering Fiber Optics
Hifi Engineering is embarking on a program to develop innovative tools to help quantify surface casing vent flow rates and detect gas migration. There are strict regulations that require serious vent flows to be repaired immediately, but currently there is no reliable technology or method that exists to identify leak sources. With much higher sensitivity than existing methods, Hifi's technology holds the potential to consistently detect leaks, which should result in reduced wellbore remediation costs and methane emissions.
Atlantic Hydrogen CarbonSaver Demonstration Project
We have partnered with the Province of New Brunswick in support of Atlantic Hydrogen's CarbonSaver™ Demonstration Project. Atlantic Hydrogen Inc., a clean energy technology developer, has a patent-pending plasma technology that creates an environmentally friendly natural gas fuel, which holds great potential for widespread use wherever natural gas is consumed. As well as financial support, Cenovus is contributing a compressor engine at one of our facilities to test the effects of using hydrogen enriched natural gas on emissions.
"NxtGen" Diesel Emission Reduction System
The NxtGen system uses syngas — a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced on demand from diesel fuel and engine exhaust — to reduce particulate matter and NOx emissions. The technology has the added bonus of increasing fuel economy in new vehicles. The system works in a similar way to a catalytic converter in gasoline vehicles.
University of Alberta — Energy and Environmental Chairs
We have donated $3 million to the University of Alberta for the creation of a Cenovus research chair that will focus on environmental engineering. This significant donation was made in honour of the university's 100th anniversary. The Cenovus Chair in Environmental Engineering will focus on enhancing the understanding of best practices in this key area.
