Innovation Anthology #87: Professor, Department of Public Health
Methane is a safety hazard in coal mines.
In the 1980’s, new technology to de-gas the mines led to the realization that coalbed methane could also be used to produce energy.
And that’s where the research of Dr. Bill Gunter at the Alberta Research Council came into play.
His pioneering work on deep well injection of carbon dioxide showed two things.
Pumping carbon dioxide underground could actually enhance the release of methane from coal. And it could remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at the same time.
DR. BILL GUNTER: CO2 absorbs much more strongly than methane. So most of the coals in Alberta are rich in methane that’s trapped on the coal surfaces. So if we actually inject CO2 into these coal seams, it will release the methane and it will be trapped in these coals just as the methane was trapped. So essentially we get two for one in the fact that it takes two molecules of CO2 to displace one of methane. And so the two molecules of CO2 are trapped.
This technology could also lead to the cleaner use of coal.
Thanks today to the Alberta Research Council.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Paul Veugelers, PhD,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, paul.veugelers@ualberta.ca
Sponsor
Alberta Research Council
Established as the first provincial research organization in Canada, the Alberta Research Council is 85 years old. The Alberta Research Council (ARC) develops and commercializes technologies to give customers a competitive advantage. A leader in innovation, ARC provides solutions globally to the energy, life sciences, agriculture, environment, forestry and manufacturing sectors.
ARC performs about five per cent of the roughly $1.5 billion in R&D done in Alberta each year, and generates revenues of approximately $84 million per year. ARC operates from five sites across the province in Edmonton, Calgary, Vegreville and Devon and employs more than 600 highly-skilled people.
In January 2010, under the new Alberta Innovation Framework, the Alberta Research Council was restructured and incorporated into the new provincial agency Alberta Innovates Technology Futures.
Program Date: 2007-11-27