COSIA celebrates 10 years of environmental innovation in Canada’s oil sands

Fast forward 10 years and COSIA members have contributed more than 1,143 clean technologies at a cost of $1.8 billion and counting, significantly improving environmental performance in the region.

Advancing the commercial potential of geothermal energy for oil sands mines

Calgary, AB, Canada – A new study investigating the application of geothermal energy in oil sands mining is moving the commercial potential of this renewable energy source closer to reality.

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance releases reports showcasing the latest in environmental research

Calgary, AB – Today, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) released a suite of research reports summarizing 100 research projects related to the areas of land, water and tailings.

Innovative solutions for sustainable oil: Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance releases 2020 Annual Report

In 2020, 233 active projects were underway at a total investment of $531 million in our four Environmental Priority Areas: Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), Land, Tailings and Water. 

Canadian team one of two to win $20-million global cleantech competition

NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE proves recycling carbon emissions into products is a viable solution to help address climate change

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance and University of Calgary Celebrate Pioneering Wetland Reclamation Research

Calgary, AB – Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) and the University of Calgary (U of C), today, celebrated a pioneering program in which Dr. Jan Ciborowski has been appointed the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)/COSIA Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Wetland Reclamation. 

COSIA has committed $1.25 million in funding, matched by NSERC, to the five-year partnership between COSIA, NSERC and the University of Calgary. The program will develop measures to assess oil sand wetland reclamation success.

Foresight and Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance Launch Prize Competition Seeking to Reduce Seismic Exploration Impact

Vancouver, CANADA – January 18, 2021 — Today, Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre (Foresight) has officially launched an open innovation competition across Canada and around the world, on behalf of COSIA.

New Chief Executive Takes COSIA’s Helm

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Wes Jickling as the organization’s next Chief Executive, effective August 6, 2019.

Canada's Oil Sands Producers Double Down on Innovation Leadership: COSIA Releases Innovation Opportunities

Today, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) announced the release of more than 60 Innovation Opportunities that can benefit from broader, global collaboration, representing a bold step forward in oil sands innovation and transparency.

COSIA Announces Departure of Chief Executive

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) announced today that its Chief Executive, Dr. Dan Wicklum, is stepping down after seven years as head of the organization.

Full steam ahead for SAIT’s new OTSG lab

New SAIT lab conducts leading-edge research and innovation in energy efficiency and environmental performance through Once Through Steam Generation (OTSG) to benefit oil sands

$20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE finalists announced; teams ready to test transformative CO2 technologies at Alberta’s carbon conversion centre

Today, at the Future of Energy Summit in New York City, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) joined XPRIZE and NRG Energy in revealing the 10 finalists of the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, who have demonstrated that their carbon conversion technologies are ready for testing at commercial scale.

COSIA marks fifth consecutive year of progress in oil sands innovation

Highlights areas of focus aimed at accelerating performance

At its 2017 annual Performance Update, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) showcased advances towards its goal of accelerating the pace of environmental performance in Canada's oil sands. To date, members of Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) have voluntarily shared 981 distinct environmental technologies costing $1.4 billion.

Support for clean water technologies to benefit the oil and gas industry

“NAIT is an important partner for COSIA in advancing our clean resource innovation. Thanks to this partnership and our government’s commitment, we are advancing the testing and development of a new generation of oil sands technology that we believe offers a potential solution for oil sands water treatment. This project is a demonstration of how collaboration brings us closer to reaching our goals for finding solutions to our biggest challenges.”

- Dan Wicklum, Chief Executive, COSIA

Foresight and COSIA Select First-Ever Winner of Pioneering ARCTIC Innovation Challenge Program

AMSEnergy Corp’s Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger will capture heat lost during oil sands production and reduce GHG emissions.

Foresight, COSIA and Alberta Innovates Award Funding to Advance Canadian GHG Emissions Reduction Technologies

Challenge Winners Will Develop Solutions for Hot Water Production in Oil Sands Mining Facilities

At COSIA we are constantly uncovering ways to mobilize the world’s best minds towards improving environmental performance. Through the ARCTIC and ASBIRI programs we’ve discovered two more promising technologies for helping us to reduce emissions.

New Public-Private Partnership Aims to Accelerate Sustainability-Focused Innovation in Canada’s Oil Sands

Research collaboration with Canadian universities, Alberta Innovates, Natural Resources Canada and Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance will build on ‘made in Canada’ innovation model.

Federal budget investment in clean resources and innovation shows commitment and confidence in Canada’s innovation leaders

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) shares the Government of Canada’s commitment to the principles of reducing the environmental impact from our resource industry. Funding for clean resources and innovation identified in yesterday’s federal budget speaks to Canada’s commitment to finding solutions, faster, for reducing our environmental impact, and shows confidence in Canadians’ capabilities as innovation leaders.

Oil Sands Innovation Summit 2017 showcases oil sands environmental performance improvements

Alberta Innovates, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) and Natural Resources Canada have partnered to host the Oil Sands Innovation Summit 2017, on March 21 and 22, in Calgary. The two-day Summit spotlights how we’re improving the environmental performance of Canada’s oil sands. Attracting global innovators from industry, research, government, academia, and the service and technology sectors, the event provides a platform for new ideas, projects and programs for innovation in the oil sands.

Canada’s oil sands backed $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition one step closer to reimagining CO2

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) has some of the best minds on the planet working on technologies to lower emissions. Now, the international finalists competing in the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE will have a facility where they can test their technologies for converting CO2 emissions into valuable products, thanks to the Government of Canada’s and Government of Alberta’s commitment to emission reduction technology development.

COSIA souligne la contribution des sables bitumineux à l'économie d’innovation du Canada lors de la mise à jour annuelle sur la performance

Le mardi 18 octobre, COSIA a tenu la quatrième édition de sa mise à jour annuelle sur la performance, lors de laquelle Dan Wicklum, directeur général, a fait part des plus récents progrès de son portefeuille exhaustif de projets à mesure qu’on se dirige vers son objectif d’accélérer l’amélioration de la performance environnementale dans les sables bitumineux du Canada. 

COSIA emphasizes oil sands’ contribution to Canada’s innovation economy at annual Performance Update

COSIA held its fourth annual Performance Update on Tuesday, October 18, where chief executive, Dan Wicklum, shared the latest progress from COSIA’s extensive project portfolio as it advances its goal of accelerating the pace of environmental performance improvements in Canada's oil sands.

Foresight and COSIA award cleantech companies up to $250,000 to accelerate technologies that reduce GHG emissions in Canada’s oil sands.

Winners of the initial stage of the first-ever COSIA-ARCTIC Waste Heat Challenge will develop their cleantech solutions for capturing heat lost during oil sands production.

Official Roster of Teams, Advisory Board Announced in the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE

“The Carbon XPRIZE is harnessing global innovators to reimagine carbon and change it from a liability into a resource, from a waste into a valuable product. As a scientist, I know from experience that when you focus a challenge and incentivize smart people to think about how to address that challenge from different angles and different perspectives, good things happen,” said Dan Wicklum, COSIA chief executive. “COSIA is excited about what’s going to come out of this challenge – good things are going to happen.”

Foresight’s ARCTIC Program partners with COSIA to announce call for applications to deliver environmental solutions for Canada’s resource sector

Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre and COSIA launched the first “ARCTIC Innovation Challenge” in the resource sector, this first from the organization designed to develop and provide advanced technologies for Canada’s Oil Sands sector to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

COSIA provides 2015 Performance Update highlighting strong and steady progress during the year

COSIA held its third annual Performance Update on Wednesday, October 21, 2015. Dr. Dan Wicklum, COSIA Chief Executive, used the event to highlight the progress being made towards achieving COSIA’s aim of accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada's oil sands through collaborative action and innovation.

New $20 Million XPRIZE Aims to Tackle Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Fossil Fuels

Global Competition Challenges Innovators to Develop Breakthrough Technologies to Convert CO2 into Valuable Products.

Global innovators submit ideas to advance efficiency and environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands

Global GHG Innovation Challenge recognizes four winners.

University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering announces NSERC/COSIA Senior Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Tailings Geotechnique

One of Canada’s top researchers tackling challenges presented by mining waste has been appointed as an Industrial Research Chair by the Natural Sciences Engineering and Research Council of Canada.

COSIA wins Deals of Distinction Award for creation of Greenhouse Gases EPA

COSIA has been awarded the Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada) Deals of Distinction™ Award for the for the Chemicals, Energy, Environment and Materials (CEEM) Sector for the development of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) that 12 of COSIA’s 13 member companies entered into to establish the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) EPA.

GE and Suncor Energy announce new investments toward improving environmental performance in Alberta’s oil sands

GE and Suncor Energy announced today the signing of two agreements which provide the opportunity for an investment of up to approximately $18 million.

Suncor Energy and partners approve new facility to test water treatment and recycling technologies

Suncor Energy and five industry partners today announced an estimated $165 million funding commitment to sanction the construction of a dedicated Water Technology Development Centre (WTDC).

COSIA and its member companies stop to update stakeholders on their journey to improved environmental performance

COSIA and its 13 member companies took the opportunity to engage with a wide group of stakeholders and fulfil their ongoing commitment to communicate the progress made in improving environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands.

Tailings Technology Roadmap project invokes major industry government collaboration

CALGARY – August 28, 2012: Today, a new way forward in accelerating the pace of improvement in tailings management was charted with the release of outcomes from the Tailings Technology Roadmap and Action Plan project.

Canada’s oil sands producers launch environmental performance alliance

CALGARY – March 1, 2012: Canada’s oil sands producers have formed a new alliance, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), focused on accelerating the pace of improving environmental performance in Canada’s oil sands.

Les producteurs de sables bitumineux du Canada créent une alliance pour la performance environnementale

CALGARY – 1er mars 2012 : Les producteurs des sables bitumineux du Canada ont créé une nouvelle alliance COSIA, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (Alliance pour l’innovation dans les sables bitumineux), dans le but d’accélérer l’amélioration de la performance environnementale dans ce secteur.