On February 27, Climate Positive Energy (CPE) and the Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association (OCTIA) were pleased to welcome more than 60 researchers, policy makers, and industry experts to University of Toronto for a sold-out event celebrating innovation in carbon capture and utilization.
An opening keynote by Professor David Sinton, Academic Director of CPE, offered key insights into how U of T research, included that supported by CPE, is transforming the field of carbon capture utilization and storage through continued innovation and pathways to commercialization. Pointing to historical equipment inside U of T’s Energy Lab and its role in inspiring and training the next generation of energy researchers, Professor Sinton spoke on the importance of developing methods to capture and convert carbon in order to reduce and remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere, and support global efforts to reach net-zero by 2050.
Following the keynote, Alexander Ip (CERT Systems Inc), Todd Scheidt (E-quester), Tarek El Naggar (Plug and Play Tech Center), and Peter McArthur (OCTIA) engaged in a fireside chat and panel discussion on clean tech research and innovation. Carbon capture and direct air capture (DAC) status was discussed, and government regulations, carbon pricing, and industry roles were key themes that dominated the conversation. Guests were also treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Energy Lab, including some of the state-of-the-art equipment used by U of T researchers. The event concluded with a networking reception.
“The University of Toronto has world class expertise and facilities to develop clean energy solutions,” said Shatha Qaqish-Clavering, Executive Director of CPE. “We are thankful to our co-hosts at OCTIA for joining us in connecting industry experts with U of T researchers. Events and conversations such as this one can help accelerate the development and adoption of clean technology solutions that support a more sustainable future.”
A number of research and innovation technologies have emerged out of University of Toronto’s clean energy labs: CERT Systems Inc, founded by a team of U of T engineering students and faculty, is developing an electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion technology to produce fuels and chemical feedstocks; E-quester, a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in electrochemistry, material science, fluid mechanics, and mechanical systems, developed a system to capture atmospheric CO2 in a capture solution and liberate the CO2 through an electrochemical process; and the CPE-led CANSTOREnergy project is bringing together researchers from 11 Canadian universities, along with community, utility and industry partners, to develop technologies that convert carbon-based emissions into useful products.
Thank you to our co-hosts at OCTIA, our Gold Sponsor Plug and Play, and Silver Sponsors Diagram and carbonNEXT for supporting the evening, as well our guests who joined us. We look forward to future events celebrating clean technology solutions and innovations at the university.