Avatar partners with XPRIZE to run carbon removal accelerator
XPRIZE, Avatar Innovations & UCalgary Form Partnership to Run Carbon Removal Accelerator for $100M Prize
CALGARY AB, August 25, 2021: The XPRIZE Foundation, Avatar Innovations and the University of Calgary (UCalgary) today announced a partnership to launch a tailor-made accelerator for technologies and companies interested in the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. Funded by the Musk Foundation, the $100M Carbon Removal XPRIZE is the largest, most audacious incentive prize in history. To win the four-year competition, teams must demonstrate solutions that permanently remove carbon dioxide and reduce the impact of climate change.
The Avatar Carbon Removal Accelerator will offer teams access to industry customers, partners and investors, workspace and facilities in the newly created Energy Transition Centre in downtown Calgary and the opportunity to collaborate with UCalgary researchers in the institution’s labs and testing facilities.
This tailor-made accelerator will provide global, early-stage carbon removal companies with the industry access and industrial scale required for this challenge. It offers access to Calgary’s world-leading carbon technology ecosystem and builds on the success of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE completed in April 2021.
The Avatar Carbon Removal Accelerator is supported by some of the world’s largest energy companies - Suncor, Enbridge, Shell Canada, Imperial Oil and Cenovus Energy. Each company has committed subject-matter experts to all teams accepted into the accelerator and will provide unparalleled industry and customer access for these emerging technologies to succeed and reach scale.
UCalgary, a leader in carbon management research, will provide accelerator teams with the opportunity to collaborate with researchers, and access to labs, expert advice, and $1B worth of carbon technology testing facilities. UCalgary will also connect teams with the ecosystem that both supported the creation of Carbon Engineering, one of the world’s largest carbon removal companies, and generated numerous successful finalists for the NRG COSIA XPRIZE.
Energy Transition Centre created in downtown Calgary providing workspace and innovation corridor between energy industry and emerging carbon technologies.
To support the interface between Canada’s leading energy companies and emerging carbon reduction technology companies, the Calgary Energy Transition Centre will be opened October 1st, 2021 through a partnership between Avatar Innovations and Aspen Properties. This new downtown Calgary space will initially provide the projects admitted into the Avatar Carbon Removal Accelerator with office space and facilities in the newly renovated Ampersand building. This space will boost the networking, productivity and creativity of emerging carbon technology companies right beside the headquarters of some of the worlds’ largest energy companies. The Calgary Energy Transition Centre will then build towards becoming a global energy transition center of excellence with its current partners and interested energy transition and carbon technology groups.
Virtual Press Conference with media availability on August 25th 2021 at 9:00 AM MT can be found here.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
“The Carbon technology industry is going to be the next Silicon Valley and Avatar is building it right here in Calgary. By partnering with the world’s most prestigious technology competition – XPRIZE - with leading energy firms and academia, Avatar is positioning Canada as a global superpower in emerging carbon and energy transition technologies”.
Kevin Krausert, CEO, Avatar Innovations
“The goal of XPRIZE Carbon Removal isn’t just to find a winner of the $50M grand prize, the true goal is to collectively inspire and create real, meaningful impact. Carbon negativity, not neutrality. This partnership will help us find and nurture some of the greatest minds in the climate change fight”
Marcius Extavour Vice President of Climate & Energy, XPRIZE
“The University of Calgary has been active in carbon management research for nearly two decades. We focus on both research and technology innovation and have teams of world-class researchers who support a unique suite of lab and field resources. We look forward to working with new collaborators to advance the science and technology required for large-scale carbon dioxide removal and addressing this pressing global issue.”
Dr. William Ghali, Vice-President (Research), University of Calgary.
“Aspen Properties is excited to partner with Avatar Innovations in the creation of the Calgary Energy Transition Centre in The Ampersand. With its recent redevelopment, The Ampersand is uniquely positioned to offer an unparalleled collection of amenities and workspaces that foster a connected and collaborative tenant community. The Ampersand is poised to become a thriving hub in Calgary that will further bolster the developing tech and innovation sectors in the city.”
Greg Guatto, CEO, Aspen Properties
“Shell has long recognized that innovation and collaboration go hand in hand. We look forward to learning from and sharing our experiences with those companies working hard on low carbon energy technologies. Working in collaboration with other companies, both big and small, as well as with communities, governments and customers will help everyone achieve their net zero ambitions.”
Susannah Pierce, President & Country Chair and GM Renewables & Energy Solutions, Shell Canada
“Innovation is essential to Cenovus’s ambition of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Our support for companies developing emerging emissions reduction technology and the XPRIZE x Avatar Carbon Removal Accelerator is another opportunity to collaborate on the innovation that will help the oil and gas industry meet our climate goals.”
Rhona DelFrari, Chief Sustainability Officer & Senior Vice-President, Stakeholder Engagement, Cenovus Energy
“Enbridge is excited to participate in and contribute to this important and exciting initiative. As a leader in the energy transition among our midstream peers, we are committed to innovation in emissions reduction and carbon removal. We look forward to working with Avatar, X-Prize and this world class group to advance these important objectives.”
Mathew Akman, SVP Corporate Strategy & Power, Enbridge
“We’re looking forward to working with these bright minds – working together on their big, bold ideas and sharing our industry’s perspective and insight all with a view to look beyond our current capabilities on technology and innovation. Over the years, we’ve found that through partnerships and collaboration initiatives like this, we’ve seen better results and solutions that will help us achieve our global climate goals.”
Bradley Wamboldt, General Manager Enterprise Technology, Suncor
“This initiative - in collaboration with XPrize, the University of Calgary industry and the Elon Musk Foundation - positions Calgary as the global centre for the development of carbon removal technologies and processes, which will transform the production and use of energy around the world.”
Deborah Yedlin, CEO, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
"There is likely no greater challenge or opportunity facing Calgary at this time, and it is inspiring to see this homegrown leadership. As a Calgary-based law firm that has been supporting Canadian energy innovation and entrepreneurship for decades, BD&P is thrilled to be a part of the important energy transition efforts being led by Albertans. "
Kelsey Clark, Partner Burnet Duckworth and Palmer Law Firm