Prime Minister Harper And Saskatchewan Premier Wall Announce Major Carbon Capture And Storage Project

March 25, 2008

Estevan, SK - Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today that the Government of Canada will partner with Saskatchewan in the development of one of the world’s first and largest commercial-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration projects. Prime Minister Harper, joined by Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, made the announcement after touring the SaskPower Boundary Dam Power Station, the site of the demonstration project.

“By combining state-of-the-art carbon capture technology with enhanced oil recovery and carbon sequestration, the proposed Boundary Dam project would reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by a million tonnes a year while generating up to 100 megawatts of clean power,” said the Prime Minister. “Proving this technology on a commercial scale is key to reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

Funding for the $240 million contribution from the Government of Canada was included in Budget 2008. The funds will be delivered in trust to the Province of Saskatchewan, once legislation has been passed. Together with a matching contribution of $758 million from SaskPower, the funds will be used to partner with industry on the project.

“This announcement highlights the commitment of both the federal and provincial governments to clean coal technology,” Wall said. “This project reflects Saskatchewan’s commitment to sustain our economic momentum through environmentally-friendly power generation.”

Carbon capture and storage is an integral part of the federal Government’s aggressive plan to achieve an absolute reduction of 20 per cent in Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The Canada-Alberta ecoENERGY Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force has estimated that Canada has the potential to store underground as much as 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, roughly equal to three-quarters of Canada’s current annual emissions of greenhouse gases.

“The Boundary Dam project is an excellent example of the positive working relationship between Ottawa and Saskatchewan,” said Prime Minister Harper. ”Both our Governments are committed to balancing economic growth with environmental protection. We’re taking real action that will produce real, tangible results, and make Canada a world leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”