FortisBC: Compact Carbon Capture Challenge
FortisBC sought solutions for capturing relatively small amounts of CO2 from a variety of geographic areas within Canada to use or sequester.
CHALLENGE LAUNCH: JUNE 2023
Compact Carbon Capture Challenge
carbonNEXT and FortisBC, sought solutions that could remove small amounts of CO2 from areas all across Canada while contributing to Foresight Canada and FortisBC’s ultimate goal — moving the needle to a more sustainable future.
After a rigorous review of the applications, FortisBC has selected the Challenge Winners for their common technology platform that meets the diverse needs of both the combustion and biogas components outlined in the Challenge.
This innovative solution offers 1-43 tonnes of carbon capture capacity per day (the equivalent of removing up to 3,000 cars from the road per year), helping Fortis make massive strides towards their climate targets.
The Opportunity
FortisBC is committed to a lower-carbon energy future and the advancement of technologies that will meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the delivery and use of natural gas in BC.
Engaging FortisBC through this challenge could lead to one of the following outcomes:
- A proponent conducting a pilot of their solution with FortisBC
- FortisBC not pursuing the proposal
- Another pathway as mutually agreed
FortisBC may be interested in supporting opportunities to advance research and development of pre-commercial technologies of particular interest identified through the Challenge. This would most likely occur under an application for project funding to FortisBC’s Clean Growth Innovation Fund.
The Partner
FortisBC is the largest natural gas distribution utility in British Columbia, providing sales and transportation services to over 1 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 135 communities and 58 First Nations communities across 150 Traditional Territories in British Columbia. FortisBC delivers natural and renewable gases to more than 80 percent of the gas customers in British Columbia through a network of approximately 50,500 kilometres of gas distribution lines. Additionally, FortisBC operates two liquified natural gas storage facilities in BC.
FortisBC supports cleantech innovation through a number of initiatives, including through their Clean Growth Innovation Fund, which enables them to provide grant funding to support the development of innovative GHG emissions-reducing projects and technologies.
Challenge Background & Considerations
This Challenge was important in helping FortisBC identify potential solutions to reduce its scope 1 emissions (combustion and venting-related sources) from infrastructure such as compressor stations, line heaters, biogas production facilities, liquified natural gas vaporization equipment, and entrained CO2 emissions from liquified natural gas facilities. See the Challenge Program Guide for details on CO2 concentrations.
Engineered CCUS solutions for point source industrial emissions (combustion and/or venting-related sources) are the focus of this challenge, rather than DAC or nature-based capture. Proponents should also address options for storage and/or utilization of the captured carbon dioxide. A successful solution:1
Is applicable for emissions sources ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 tonne CO2e/yr
2
Can be applied to existing brownfield equipment
3
Is ideally modular in design, allowing the solution to be scaled as required
4
Will have a minimal footprint
5
Is able to accommodate limited availability of electricity at some compression and line heating emissions sites
Evaluation & Eligibility:
Key assessment and eligibility criteria included:
- Feasibility
- Scalability
- Cost-effectiveness
- Deployability across FortisBC’s service territory
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5+
Applicants from anywhere in the world were eligible to apply.
Upon request, FortisBC could provide specific information related to the location, emission profiles, and electrical capacity for the potential emission sites to which proposed solutions may be applicable. A non-disclosure agreement may be required.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: OCTOBER 2023
The Challenge Winners
The challenge received twenty one applications, and after the eligibility screening, sixteen eligible applications were sent to the reviewers. FortisBC selected CarbonQuest and Cielo Carbon Solutions for their single, common technology platform that meets the diverse needs of both the combustion and biogas components outlined in the Challenge.
The CarbonQuest distributed carbon capture solution is applicable to both natural gas combustion and biogas applications. The technology footprint has been designed to accommodate a range of standard sizes that can deliver 1 to 43 tons of capture capacity per day from a wide range of CO2 concentrations (3-65%).
The modularity and scalability of the solution enables the technology to be deployed across a variety of project applications. The technology is designed to use standard shipping practices so it can be deployed and operational within days.
The solution uses highly advanced technology and solid adsorbents that are inherently low maintenance. The embedded software autonomously controls the system allowing for unattended operations in remote environments. Leveraging a common technology across the utility portfolio will lower overall operations and maintenance costs for the remote distributed locations.
UPDATED: JULY 2024
Outcomes
FortisBC is working with Carbon Quest and Cielo Carbon Solutions to explore the following outcomes:
- Receive FortisBC support in the development of an NGIF application, with FortisBC potentially acting as a host demonstration site.
- Work with FortisBC to develop a request for Expressions of Interest from customers who might be interested in adopting your solution at their facility. FortisBC might provide funding to support the installation.
- Assess the opportunity for a pilot with FortisBC
Quotes
At FortisBC, we are committed to finding new, innovative technologies that will push us towards our climate goals while meeting the energy needs of the homes and businesses we serve. This Innovation Challenge allowed us to do just that — we were able to identify a key barrier within our sustainability efforts, and have found a powerful solution that could be a game changer in helping us achieve a low-carbon future.
Mark Warren Director of Business Innovation, FortisBC Energy Inc.
Canada has proven time and time again to be a leader in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies. I’m thrilled to see industry leaders like FortisBC continuing their support and investment into powerful, made-in-Canada CCUS solutions that will help drive them towards their sustainability goals. I look forward to seeing the impact of this impressive innovation!
Jeanette Jackson CEO of Foresight Canada
When the Cielo team partnered with CarbonQuest in early 2023, we knew the scale and importance of decarbonizing the use of Natural Gas within Canada. Winning the Foresight challenge gives us an exceptional opportunity to showcase this leading carbon capture technology in BC, combat climate change, and support our green manufacturing and construction industries within Canada. We look forward to exploring the deployment of a test facility within the Fortis and BC Natural Gas infrastructure, showcasing our commitment to make green the use of Natural Gas, and providing a pathway to Canada wide Point Source Carbon Capture of Natural Gas Emissions.
Johnathon Sipos President of Cielo Carbon Solutions
We applaud Foresight and FortisBC for leading a challenge in the distributed carbon capture space, and are honored to have been selected as a winner for the Compact Carbon Capture Challenge. We look forward to working together to bring our distributed carbon capture solution to British Columbia, and helping decarbonize its infrastructure and facilities. Our carbon capture technology will not only help to reduce emissions in the province, but will help British Columbia properties meet their carbon tax requirements — all while supporting a circular carbon economy.
Shane Johnson CEO of CarbonQuest
Our Partners
This Challenge is presented as a part of the carbonNEXT program, a partnership between Foresight and Carbon Management Canada, powered by Scotiabank and Prairies Economic Development Canada.
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