ISEEE Groups and Initiatives

ISEEE Research Initiatives

At present, the focus is on development/expansion of initiatives in four main areas:

Sustainable Development Technologies

The National Institute for Sustainable Development Technologies is an initiative under development in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). It is focused on the development, production and integration of alternative energy and on energy and environment systems modelling, integration and policy. More specifically, this initiative is focused on:

Hydrogen production (renewable and non-renewable sources), transportation, storage, distribution and safety (hydrogen for resource upgrading and, over the longer term, for fuel) Energy and environmental systems analysis, modelling, integration and policy Biofuels/bioproducts/biomaterials High temperature (solid oxide) fuel cells to convert ‘dirty’ hydrocarbons to clean energy, currently being developed under the leadership of the Western Canada Fuel Cell Initiative

Dr. Pedro Pereira-Almao is investigating catalysts for use in upgrading and hydrogen generation.

Water Management

This initiative involves the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research and the Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets Project (ACWA).

The Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research is a world-class institute focusing on studies and applications related to the health of freshwater systems. The centre is a research partnership among the University of Lethbridge, University of Alberta and University of Calgary.

ACWA, in association with the City of Calgary’s Pine Creek Water Research Park (to be commissioned in 2007), will include the world’s only full-scale, integrated, complete water cycle facility for research on alternative modes of wastewater treatment and the impacts of urban wastewater on aquatic systems.

Advanced Recovery and Upgrading

This initiative is focused on the development of cost-effective, ‘clean’ technologies and systems integration aimed at:

• In situ recovery, separation and upgrading of bitumen (and heavy oil)
• Recovery and production of unconventional gas, particularly coalbed and gas from tight geological formations
• Enhanced recovery of conventional oil and gas

Carbon (CO₂) Management

Working with other partners, this initiative’s overall goal is to develop the knowledge, decision-making tools and procedures to allow industry to effectively capture, transport, store and use carbon dioxide (CO₂) to reduce CO₂ emissions and increase resource recovery.

(See Research section for additional details on all four initiatives)

"The cornerstone of the ISEEE initiatives is the collaboration with the provincial government, particularly through the Alberta Energy Research Institute, various federal government departments, the private sector, other universities and other stakeholders.”