Earth Day 2021: The growing hub of clean innovation in Atlantic Canada

On the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, we’re exploring the clean innovation hub that’s blossoming in Atlantic Canada. Focusing on clean technologies, we’ve highlighted companies across the biotechnology, carbon capture and sustainable agriculture sectors that are developing scalable solutions to address some of the world’s biggest climate challenges.

Congratulations to Carbon Cure Technologies for winning the Carbon XPRIZE!
This week CarbonCure was named one of only two winners in the global Carbon XPRIZE competition, receiving an award of US$7.5 million. CarbonCure is a leader in carbon dioxide capture technology by injecting CO2 into cement mixes to produce stronger, more sustainable concrete. Considering that the cement industry is estimated to represent 8% of global CO2 emissions, CarbonCure provides a timely solution that significantly reduces the embodied carbon in concrete products. Read their story –> here.

DeNova – coverting greenhouse gases into protein
DeNova is growing Nova Scotia’s marine biotechnology sector with a unique product that could reduce methane emissions at industrial sites by 85%. Using a single-cell protein derived from an organism discovered on the East Coast, their technology converts greenhouse gases into a protein that can be used in the aquaculture and feed ingredient sectors. Last week, DeNova received Federal recognition with a CA$250,000 repayable contribution from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). According to DeNova’s President, Brianna Stratton, this support will help DeNova scale its technology and advance their vision to create meaningful change in global protein supply chains. Read their story –> here.

Planetary Hydrogen – producing clean hydrogen and capturing CO₂
Planetary Hydrogen’s innovative production process takes ocean water and injects a mineral salt to produce hydrogen and a carbon-dioxide scrubbing by-product that combats ocean acidification. They say that for every 1kg of hydrogen produced, 40kg of carbon dioxide is permanently removed from the atmosphere from their technology. Restoring ocean chemistry, Planetary Hydrogen’s scalable pilot plant begins operations in 2022 with the support of the leading global commerce company Shopify. Read their story –> here.

Oberland Agriscience – turning organic waste into protein
Halifax-based Oberland Agriscience produces a high quality insect-derived protein for the pet, aquaculture and agricultural industries. Applying a circular supply model they use pre-consumer waste to feed their insects. Oberland is addressing downstream protein shortage pressure while diverting a portion of the organic waste stream, providing innovative green solutions for our food supply chain and food security. Congratulations to the Oberland team for winning the Halifax Innovative Business of the Year award in 2021. Read their story –> here.

Reazent Inc. – increasing agricultural performance using bio-based products
Spurred by the sustainable agriculture movement, Reazent replaces synthetic agricultural chemicals with safer, affordable and more sustainable alternatives. Leveraging the symbiotic relationship with existing microorganisms in the soil, their technology offers farmers a higher return by helping them to grow healthier agri-products with a greater yield. Reazent received over CA$400,000 from ACOA to bring its disruptive technology to the North American market. Read their story –> here.

Graphite Innovation & Technologies – producing a best-in-class marine coating
Graphite is Canada’s leading materials firm that uses graphene to produce XGIT-Fuel, a best-in-class marine coating. Applicable to a wide range of marine settings, this coating addresses industrial challenges such as biofouling, which can reduce maintenance costs, increase boat speed and result in fuel savings and emissions reductions. As a member of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Graphite was recently announced as the lead partner of the Smart Protective Coatings Project, valued at more than CA$4.6 million. Read their story –> here.

Plus, check out Entrevestor’s Earth Day article here for more examples of clean innovation happening in Atlantic Canada.