Alberta’s oilsands produce some of the most responsible energy in the world. The oilsands have drastically cut freshwater use per barrel and built strong, science-based foundations for responsible closure, but billions of litres are stored in tailings ponds.
Alberta’s government is investing $46 million through the TIER fund to develop the innovative technologies needed to safely and effectively reduce tailings ponds and clean the water. Led by three major oil companies, a post-secondary institution and two businesses, this funding will help reclaim the water in tailing ponds and eventually return the land for use by future generations.
“The world is looking for responsibly produced energy, and Alberta is delivering. With industry leadership and TIER investment, we’re deploying technologies that clean up mine water, protect land and water, and deliver the jobs and competitiveness Alberta needs.”
“Alberta is the most responsible energy producer in the world, and we are committed to the protection of our water and environment in every project. This funding backs up our commitment as a province of innovators and solving challenges in the energy sector for the betterment of our future.”
“Alberta’s government is taking action to address tailings ponds. These projects will help us continue to provide the responsible energy that communities and the world need, all while protecting our environment and water for future generations.”
Delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta, this funding will support nine innovative, real-world projects. This includes technologies to remove bitumen and chemicals from mine water, dry and settle tailings faster, and use wetlands to naturally and safely clean water.
“These projects will advance cutting-edge solutions, from water treatment and recycling technologies to enhanced tailings stabilization. This significant investment will help reduce environmental impact, accelerate reclamation and improve operational efficiency across Alberta’s oilsands.”
For example, CNRL will use $18 million in provincial funding to reduce liquid waste and expensive, energy-intensive equipment in Wood Buffalo, while Imperial will use $12.8 million to test a new way to treat tailings that reuses more water and speeds up land reclamation north of Fort McMurray.
Suncor will use $7.5 million for two pilot projects, including demonstrating established technologies to treat oilsands mine water, helping manage growing volumes of stored water and advancing the reclamation and closure of tailings facilities. Meanwhile, NAIT will create standards to help measure treatment performance and adopt new technologies across the oilsands.
Combined, the nine projects are estimated to create 1,400 jobs and add $220 million to Alberta’s economy by 2027.
“Through collaboration and innovation, we’re advancing projects that directly support our reclamation, water management and environmental goals. These investments will further advance technologies that enable us to safely treat oilsands mine water, reclaim our mine sites and return the land to self-sustaining boreal forest ecosystems.”
“Innovation remains central to Canada’s oilsands. Industry leaders regularly join forces to invest in advanced environmental technologies, including mine water and tailings management. We look forward to seeing the results of these investments and how they shape the future of oilsands development.”
“The Government of Alberta and Emissions Reduction Alberta are critical catalysts for technology-enabled energy and environmental sustainability. Their funding support strengthens our Albertan partnership to scale and iterate innovative technology for water reuse and purification, enabling cleaner resources from here to the broader world.”
“This funding support by the Government of Alberta through Emissions Reduction Alberta will enhance thickener technology designed to reduce tailings volumes and speed up settling time. This work supports our shared goal of responsible resource development through our commitment to research and innovation, delivering continued improvements to our operations.”
“This support from the Government of Alberta through Emissions Reduction Alberta will help ConeTec and our partners deliver the next generation of mine tailings geo-characterization. This project provides new data insights on tailings and mine water conditions using innovative investigation technologies, enhancing progressive reclamation and highlighting Alberta’s leadership in responsible resource development.”
“This funding will allow NAIT to lead a collaborative effort with Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance and Indigenous communities to tackle one of the oilsands’ most pressing environmental challenges. By creating a transparent evaluation framework for tailings treatment technologies, we can accelerate innovation, reduce environmental impacts, and support sustainable resource development in Alberta.”
“This announcement further supports Alberta’s reputation as world-leading in its commitment to responsible resource development by deploying TIER funding directly into such results-oriented environmental technologies and outcomes. Initiatives like these come at a critical time as the world looks to us as an ever-more important resource supplier of choice.”
Quick facts
- A complete list of projects is available on Emissions Reduction Alberta’s website.
- Investments range from $1 million to $15 million per project.
- All mines produce tailings that need to be managed. In the oilsands, tailings include a mixture of water, sand, clay and residual bitumen that are the byproduct of the oil extraction process.
- Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds contain more than 1.5 billion cubic metres of fluid tailing and more than 380 million cubic metres of water, highlighting the scale of the challenge and the need for the new technologies being funded.
- From 2013 to 2023, oilsands mine operations reduced the amount of fresh water used per barrel by 28 per cent. Recycled water use increased by 51 per cent over that same period.
- Oilsands operators are responsible for site management and reclamation, while ongoing research continues to inform and refine best practices to support effective policy and regulatory outcomes.