The province of Alberta has remained at the forefront of the oil and gas industry in both the domestic and international arenas for decades. The establishment of an extensive, skilled workforce, coupled with unparalleled drilling technologies and expertise has positioned the province as an uncontestable industry leader. However, in the context of the ongoing shift away from oil and gas, towards renewable energy alternatives, where does that leave Alberta?
On March 31, 2021, Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer sat down with Peace River’s Kenny Trenton of Kix FM 106’s Hot Seat to discuss Alberta’s position in the global renewable energy industry. More specifically, how the applications of Alberta-made drilling technologies are pushing the boundaries in geothermal energy, and in doing so drawing international attention and investment to the province.
“When you take a look at the technology developed here in Alberta for horizontal drilling, which unlocked a huge amount of potential in natural gas,” says Schweitzer, “now that same type of technology is being applied to geothermal. We’re creating loops that harness the Earth’s heat to generate power.”
Schweitzer gives well-deserved praise to the innovators and entrepreneurs who have and continue to position Alberta as a world leader, not only in oil and gas, but in the much broader resource extraction industry. This includes the extraction of heat as a resource for energy and electricity generation.
“People have these stereotypes of what it means to be Albertan,” he says, “but when you look at what we’re actually doing, we’re ahead of almost everywhere else … Alberta is going to be a leader in the world. We have the intellectual horsepower here in our province.”
The innovation and determination referred to by Minister Schweitzer is evident in Eavor Technologies Inc. Their team, many of whom transitioned from the oil and gas industry themselves, and their successful demonstration project in Rocky Mountain House represent the exact transition that will continue to secure Alberta’s position as a world leader. The Eavor-Lite demonstration project highlights the ways in which the cutting-edge technologies developed for oil and gas drilling applications in Alberta will assume a new purpose in the transition to renewable energy alternatives.
Doug Schweitzer has celebrated the ongoing innovation and advancement being made by Eavor Technologies and other cutting-edge Alberta-based companies a number of times, as he continues to champion Alberta’s entrepreneurs and economic recovery.