The Government of Canada is committed to innovation and to building a clean energy future to strengthen the economy, create good jobs and support the natural resource sectors. This commitment will be more important than ever as we begin to reopen the economy and plan our recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

Joël Lightbound, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of $5 million to Elkem Métal Canada Inc., a company specializing in the manufacturing of a ferroalloy used in the foundry and steel mill industry.

Committed to promoting the development of innovative technologies, the Government of Quebec announced an investment of $11.95 million to Elkem Métal Canada Inc. The funding comes from the Technoclimat ($9.45 million) and Innovation Bois ($2.5 million) programs.

The funding will help support the manufacturing of biocarbon briquettes, or compressed blocks of coal dust, a renewable alternative to metallurgical coal that can reduce the environmental impact of foundries and steelworks. Elkem Métal Canada Inc. intends to replace 43,000 tonnes of metallurgical coal per year, used at its Chicoutimi plant in Quebec, with 37,000 tonnes of bio-briquette (biocarbon) for a potential reduction of 100 ktonnes of CO₂ eq/yr for Elkem Métal Canada.

The project is expected to enhance the value of forest biomass, increase the production of bioenergy and significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. It will also provide the local forest sector with an opportunity to reuse biomass wastes, which are needed to manufacture biocarbon briquettes.

Funding is provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program, which invests in clean technology research and development projects in Canada’s energy, mining and forest sectors. The program is a $155-million investment fund that helps natural resource sectors and innovators come together to accelerate the development of clean technologies that reduce the impacts on air, land and water while enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs.

The government remains committed to supporting innovative projects that create a sustainable natural resource sector and strengthen the economy.