The National Research Council of Canada's Industrial Carbon Management program focuses on supporting thriving heavy industrial sectors in Canada. The program supports work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in these sectors in Canada and to strengthen the value chain for clean energy technologies. It aligns with many governmental priorities (e.g. Canada's Carbon Management Strategy and the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy).
The program's activities are organized around 3 pillars:
- Industrial decarbonization: Integrating carbon reduction and carbon management for mining and mineral processing, oil and gas, metals processing and cement
- Carbon dioxide removal: Developing novel materials, sensors, processes and modelling tools to commercialize industrial-scale technologies
- Critical minerals extraction and processing: Deploying support tools, in situ mineral characterization, green extraction processes and tailings reprocessing techniques to increase the Canadian supply of critical minerals for clean energy technologies
Collaborate with us
The NRC's Industrial Carbon Management program is positioned to leverage global developments to capitalize on opportunities for Canada to expand critical mineral extraction, increase sales of low carbon (or sustainable) products like green cement and steel and enhance deployment of carbon capture projects. These opportunities are driven by international policy shifts, technological advancements and market dynamics. The global push for decarbonization and sustainability, exemplified by net-zero commitments and initiatives like the European Green Deal, has increased demand for low-carbon industrial materials and critical minerals. Canada, with its vast reserves of essential minerals and expertise in green technologies, is well positioned to meet this demand. In addition, geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions have highlighted the need for resilience in our supply chains, which will also increase the opportunity for Canada to be a stable and reliable supplier of critical minerals.
The NRC can help deploy technological advancements in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) that can improve the efficiency of these technologies and reduce their cost, positioning Canada to export its expertise and knowledge in this area. The integration of CCUS in heavy industries like cement and steel manufacturing is becoming more feasible, allowing Canada to market greener products internationally. Furthermore, international environmental regulations and carbon pricing mechanisms, such as the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, can provide an advantage to Canadian producers of green products. The continuing global financial shift toward sustainability, with increased environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and the growth of green bonds, will offer new funding avenues for Canadian projects.
Canada-wide cooperation on strategic policy support, innovation and research will be essential for Canada to capitalize on these opportunities and position itself as a leader in the supply of critical minerals, green industrial materials and carbon capture technologies.
Expertise
We offer clients access to unique and specialized facilities conveniently located at NRC sites across the country and provide competencies in a number of areas:
- Sensor development and process integration
- Materials assessment and development
- Bioprocess development and integration
- Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle analysis (TEA/LCA), modelling, machine learning and accelerated discovery
Contact us
Jonathan Martin, Program Leader
Telephone: 604-403-7982
Email: jonathan.martin@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Targeted industries
Mining, cement, concrete, iron and steel, oil and gas