BCNZIN: Building BC's Low-Carbon Economy Challenge
Foresight's British Columbia Net Zero Innovation Network (BCNZIN) sought innovative solutions to support BC’s transition to a low-carbon economy and achieve the province’s climate goals.
CHALLENGE LAUNCH: OCTOBER 2023
Building British Columbia's Low Carbon Economy Challenge
Foresight's Net Zero Innovation Network in British Columbia (BCNZIN) Challenge hosted an open call for innovative solutions in the areas of water, transportation, bioeconomy, and mining to support BC's transition to a low-carbon economy.
Applications received addressed solutions in water treatment, sustainable packaging, net zero housing, decarbonizing mining, and water analytics, all of which have a significant potential to advance sustainability and resource efficiency and reduce emissions.
While the outcomes are still developing, the Challenge Winners have been announced, and the initiative highlights the future impact of cleantech advancements, encouraging industry and government to take an active role in promoting and implementing these solutions.
The Opportunity
BCNZIN sought solutions for potential projects to support and build out. This included bringing on additional funders, research, opportunities assessments, feasibility studies, administrative support, and other services to get projects off the ground.
Innovators had the opportunity to have their BC-based projects support up to 50% of costs for activities below:
- Developing Business Case for breaking into new markets, including access/introductions with industry in these markets
- Research support: feasibility, data tracking, and other information needed for adoption
- Project development, management, and finding additional funders to scale the project
- Media and promotion support: blog posts, case studies on any joint project work
- Contractor support for pilot projects or third party consultants
*Projects can be up to $300K
The Partners
Foresight’s BC Net Zero Innovation Network (BCNZIN) is an initiative to build capacity and accelerate British Columbia’s transition to a clean, net zero economy by fast-tracking the development and adoption of clean technology solutions.
The network brings together the British Columbia cleantech ecosystem, creating opportunities for collaboration and connection among industry, innovators, investors, academia, government and First Nations working to make meaningful progress towards net zero climate goals.
Our programming facilitates innovation scouting and curated connections, supports pilot projects, and efficiently evaluates new technologies with programming to develop investor readiness.
We provide access to sector experts to support with project evaluation & research, grant writing and finding pathways to funding, and providing access to industry ecosystem clusters for innovators to de-risk project development and mitigate costs.
Challenge Background & Considerations
This call for solutions was designed to support BC-based projects in the adoption of cleantech within four industry sectors: water, transportation, mining and bioeconomy. The following barriers were identified and needed to be overcome to be considered a successful solution:
1
Adoption viability (who is the buyer)
2
Regulatory/Procurement
3
Implementation
4
Cost
5
Scalability of technology
6
Regional challenges
Four Sector Challenges
Each sector had its own unique challenges. Download the Challenge Guide for more detailed information.
Water
Globally, over 10% of greenhouse gas emissions come from water-related categories, including utilities, land use, and water systems.
To address water treatment and distribution emissions, BCNZIN was looking for solutions that decrease municipal and industrial water loss by 10% or less through sustainable water solutions.
Water loss solutions include:
- Water & Climate: Mitigation & Adaptation
- Circular Water: Resource Recovery & Water Reuse
- Smart Water: Digital solutions, including sensors, software, and analytics
Transportation
The Transportation sector accounts for the largest share of Provincial greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia.
To transition the BC transportation sector to low-carbon, BCNZIN was looking for solutions that decrease transportation-related emissions by 50%.
Clean transportation solutions include:
- Low-Carbon and Zero-Emission Vehicle Technologies
- Charging and Fueling Infrastructure
- Telematics, Smart Mobility, and Intelligent Transportation Systems
Mining
Canada’s ability to sell carbon-neutral critical minerals to the clean tech sector requires a dramatic change in how mining operations are currently powered and is a key priority for competitive success.
The ability of both operational and planned mines to access carbon neutral or negative, sustainable and clean energy systems for their operations will significantly impact GHG emissions reductions for the mining sector and accelerate the sector’s ability to hit BC’s CleanEnergy emission reduction targets.
BCNZIN was looking for solutions that would connect 100% of active BC mines to clean energy systems.
Forest Bioeconomy
While much work has begun to decarbonise the sector, significant challenges are still ahead.
BCNZIN was looking for solutions that lead to a competitive, valuable, and net zero forest sector through increased revenues generated through wildfire resiliency, sustainable value-add manufacturing and net zero operations by more than 20%.
Bioeconomy solutions include:
- Bioproducts commercialization
- Mill residuals utilization
- Sustainable access and utilization of fibre
- Utilizing high tech to better forest management strategies and practice
Evaluation & Eligibility
Key assessment and eligibility criteria included:
- TRL 6+
- British Columbia: the project must be carried out by a BC company or take place in BC
- Reduced Emissions: the project must have an emissions reduction potential
- Cross Ecosystem Collaboration: the project brings multiple partners together within the ecosystem
- Short-Medium Term Adoption: the project has a potential buyer, provides economic development, and demonstrates a clear pathway to adoption
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: JANUARY 2024
The Challenge Winners
The challenge received twenty-four applications; after the eligibility screening, eighteen eligible applications were sent to the reviewers.
After the review, five finalists were selected for a finalist selection review:
- WaterStrider Treatment: Misty CO2 captures CO2 gas from the exhaust of diesel or natural gas generators. Misty sprays alkaline treated mine water into an enclosed tank headspace filled with CO2 gas to form carbonic acid and thus lower pH to neutral levels for regulatory compliance for treated mine water discharge to the environment. Misty is a patented technology that reduces GHGs and saves money. It can help BC mines hit their CleanEnergy emission reduction targets.
- Na'aabi Scale And Innovation Lab (NSAIL): NSAIL is an innovative solution that uses low-cost, energy-efficient, "hot-pour" machinery to produce samples and full-sized products in compostable packaging for various cosmetics, including balms, foundations, and lipsticks.
- Rohe Homes: Rohe Homes Ltd. is dedicated to innovating an Integrated Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) to help accelerate net-zero housing solutions by featuring a bioplastic foam core, aiming to replace the existing EPS-based SIPs utilized in their proprietary Lotus series of folding modular homes.
- Rockburst Technologies: Rockburst Technologies’ new Transcritical CO2 Pulverization technology halves energy consumption, avoids GHG emissions and removes carbon through CO2 utilization and storage within our mineral ore breakage process, leading to significant decarbonization in mining’s most inefficient and energy-intensive process (comminution).
- Orca Water: Orca Water’s devices are utilized in a building and installed on primary water lines within individual units (both commercial and residential) to provide water analytics and predictive leak detection to those specified units. As a result, Orca will be able to provide baseline data on water usage, anomalies, trends and additional data related to water use at a granular level (fixtures and appliances).
After the review session, the reviewer panel selected Rohe Homes and NSAIL as the winners of this challenge.
UPDATED: JULY 2024
Outcomes
BCNZIN is currently working with Rohe Homes and NSAIL to explore how their projects can be supported, including conducting Life Cycle Assessments and market research studies.
Our Partners
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation as well as support from Pacific Economic Development Canada.
Find Market-Ready Innovation without the Risk
We connect industry with the world's best clean technologies. From agriculture to water to oil and gas, our Challenge program works to connect end-users with cleantech solutions to overcome sustainability and operational hurdles.