Alberta is spending up to $50 million from its TIER fund to support the development of new technologies aimed at treating oil sands mine water and reclaiming tailings ponds, the province announced Tuesday.The Tailings Technology Challenge, led by Emissions Reduction Alberta, is intended to accelerate cleanup efforts and return industrial lands to usable condition. The funding competition will support both novel and improved solutions to manage the leftover mixture of water, clay, sand and bitumen known as tailings, a longstanding environmental issue in oil sands mining..“Alberta’s government is taking action by funding technologies that make treating oil sands water faster, effective and affordable,” said Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz. “We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions that come out of this funding challenge.”Tailings ponds have been used for decades to store billions of litres of water used in oil sands production. The government says oil sands operators have already cut freshwater use per barrel by 28% between 2013 and 2023, while boosting the use of recycled water by 51%.Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta, said managing tailings and mine water remains one of the biggest hurdles for the sector. “We’re demonstrating our commitment to funding solutions that make water treatment and tailings remediation more affordable, scalable and effective,” he said..The initiative is open to oil sands companies and technology providers until September 24, with eligible projects able to receive between $1 million and $15 million. The challenge includes pilot projects, demonstrations, and first-of-their-kind commercial technologies, including both engineered and nature-based solutions.Kendall Dilling, president of the Pathways Alliance, welcomed the move, saying oil sands firms are working collaboratively to advance environmental technologies, particularly in water and tailings management.Industry, academic and Indigenous stakeholders are also participating in Alberta’s Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee, which is working to determine the safest and most effective path forward. The government says improving on-site treatment will reduce cleanup costs, environmental risk and speed up reclamation timelines.
