Alberta Innovates issues EOI for waste-to-energy technologies

Alberta Innovates, a provincial agency focused on advancing energy and environmental technology, has released a call for expression of interest (EOI) for companies to showcase waste conversion technologies fit for small and urban rural communities.

According to the EOI, the purpose is to demonstrate waste conversion technologies that have the greatest potential to offer economically viable, waste-to-value-added solutions. The RFP does not limit technology types, but seeks specific characteristics, including: value-added products, including, but not limited to electricity, heat, liquid fuel, biochar, biofertilizers and other marketable products; the ability to convert 1,000 to 45,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually, low capital and operating costs, and a low carbon footprint, compared to current practices.

Total funding available for projects supported through the EOI is up to CA$12 million, with a max contribution of $6 million from Alberta Innovates over the life of the project, and support of no more than 75 percent of the project’s eligible expenses, which are defined in the RFP. The maximum length for projects funded under this call for proposals is three years.

Alberta has the highest waste generation rate in Canada, according to Alberta Innovates, at over 1 metric ton per capita annually in 2012. The recent RFP is part of a broader government push to work toward the closure of the province’s 124 landfills by diverting organic waste from landfills to waste conversion facilities, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with MSW.

The deadline for proposals is March 31.