So Close and Yet So Far: Decarbonization Innovation Event Recap

CRIN was pleased to host more than 60 people in-person and online for a joint CRIN and Acceleware event on May 23 focused on the theme So Close and Yet So Far: Best Practices in Spurring Decarbonization Innovation in the Oil and Gas Sector.  

The engaging interactive panel and audience discussion was moderated by industry leader Bill Whitelaw and featured Geoff Clark, CEO at Acceleware Ltd., Jane Cavanagh, VP, Production Innovation at Scovan, and Ian MacGregor of Northwest Capital. 

Acceleware’s EM Powered Heat via CTI for clean industrial heating and the Marwayne heavy oil pilot project was cited as a case study. Clark shared his insight on the journey behind the project, from when Chevron and Nexen came to Acceleware in 2010 and asked what they thought about the idea of using radio frequency energy to heat oilsands and heavy oil in situ.  

Acceleware partnered up with multiple companies as the technology was developed, pitching it as both low-cost and decarbonizing, and secured funding from various sources, including most recently CRIN.  

“It was a matter of people getting together and networking to get this thing off the ground,” he explained. 

Some of the questions raised throughout the interactive event at the Energy Transition Centre included how to accelerate innovative solutions, how much interest Canada’s innovation space is generating internationally, and the importance of networks. 

Clark noted that developing partners along the way is necessary and that everything takes longer than expected.  

“When you develop it, you’ve got this great idea that you're going to build something and it's going to work perfectly,” he said. “It's R&D, so it never works perfectly; if it was easy, they would have done it years ago.” 

Cavanagh said smaller, sustaining innovation changes are more common, but for a true disruption, you must find risk-takers and internal champions.  

“You ultimately need to sell them on vision, and sell them on the opportunity that's there, really view it through their lens,” she said.  

She noted establishing key players and building correct relationships early was an important part of Scovan’s success. 

MacGregor said when he’s looking for somebody that can help, he spends a lot of time thinking about what that person looks like and developing a strategic plan. 

“So, what does somebody helping look like – they’ve got enough authority, they've got enough passion for the idea that I'm after, they understand the idea, they can be somebody who's an eternal proponent of the idea,” he told the audience.