Cenovus: Energy meets sustainability in Calgary
Cenovus Energy
Anamika Mukherjee personifies the idea of Calgary as a place where people embrace technology to help solve global challenges.
Mukherjee works for Cenovus Energy, a company that was born out of innovation more than a decade ago and has never looked back on its journey to transform Canada’s oil and gas sector. She’s the head of the company’s technology development, one of the founding members of the Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero Alliance, and deeply invested in applying technology and science to lead the clean energy transition.
Her enthusiasm around the application of technology to deliver sustainability goals and the possibilities that exist in Calgary is apparent.
“It’s so exciting to be in this role during this time,” she said. “Calgary is a very young city. Most importantly, there is a real diversity of thought here. Calgary enables big-picture ideas.”
Along with the Pathways Alliance, Cenovus is a partner in organizations including Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) and Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN). Mukherjee believes collaboration sets Calgary apart in the push to net zero.
“Collaborative thinking is so organic in our industry. I look to peers in and outside Cenovus to help me when I need it,” she said. “The industry is changing at all levels and I am lucky enough to have a strong network of talented people around me.”
Anamika Mukherjee, Head of Technology Development, Cenovus Energy
EMBRACING NET ZERO
The work by Calgary Economic Development showcases how Calgary and Alberta are uniquely positioned to lead the energy transition in Canada with a strong cleantech ecosystem, a history of industry collaboration and investment and specialized talent.
The Alberta Energy Transition Study stated pursuing a net-zero future could create 170,000 new jobs and contribute $61 billion to the province’s GDP by 2050.
Cenovus is embracing the opportunity, working to achieve net zero by pursuing parallel pathways:
Managing methane emissions
Advancing carbon capture and storage with new and existing technologies
Advancing clean energy alternatives such as hydrogen, small modular nuclear reactors, geothermal and biofuels
“Calgary is a very young city. Most importantly, there is a real diversity of thought here. Calgary enables big-picture ideas.”
Mukherjee is particularly enthusiastic about Cenovus’s partnership with Burnaby-based Svante. It has pioneered “game-changing carbon-capture technology” that addresses the challenges of controlling large-volume emissions generated by industrial plants. Cenovus is partnered with Svante on a pilot project at its Pikes Peak South thermal facility in Saskatchewan, where they are currently capturing about 9,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Cenovus and Svante demo plant
Mukherjee has also been involved with the $100M Carbon Removal XPRIZE, which is funded by the Musk Foundation for work performed in association with the Avatar Carbon Removal Accelerator. The accelerator itself is supported by the University of Calgary and many of the world’s largest energy companies.
Cenovus is a corporate sponsor of the Rockies location of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-R) at the University of Calgary. CDL-R accelerates the commercialization of tech start-ups by bringing together founders, investors, experts, mentors and end users under one umbrella.
These organizations provide mentorship and insight for fledgling innovators and disruptors so they can try out ideas and learn from experts. Perhaps most importantly, these programs help drive good ideas through development to commercialization.
Cenovus is also working to develop molten carbonate fuel cell technology. These high- temperature fuel cells capture CO2 and, in a complex process, create electricity. Mukherjee says this emerging technology, which CRIN is also funding, has great potential. A pilot at the Scotford Upgrader near Edmonton is expected to be capable of producing 600 kilowatts of electricity while capturing 22 tonnes a day of CO2.
Cenovus is also bullish on hydrogen. CRIN announced an $8 million investment in Ekona, an innovative hydrogen start-up funded by Cenovus that converts natural gas into clean hydrogen as well as a solid carbon by-product. The Ekona process reduces greenhouse gasses (GHGs) by 90 per cent.
Finally, Cenovus is a supporter of the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and is partnering with it and Calgary-based CleanO2 on a project to provide carbon capture technology for non-profits. The pilot is part of Alberta Ecotrust’s Climate Innovation Fund, which is investing in technology to reduce GHG emissions in Calgary and Edmonton.
Cenovus Christina Lake Project - Christina Lake is the largest and most efficient steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) project in the industry. It uses less water and natural gas and creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions to produce a barrel of oil than other SAGD facilities of the same size.
WHAT’S NEXT
In March 2022, Cenovus became a partner of Avatar Innovations, and its employees are participating in Avatar’s Ignite Program as mentors and innovators, including Mukherjee who was a mentor in the 2022 Ignite program and sits on the Avatar Innovations Advisory Board. As mentors and innovators, Cenovus staff are learning how to both refine and pitch their innovations and helping others do so.
Some of these innovations may eventually emerge as Cenovus’s next clean tech discoveries.
“We have a very well-developed culture of innovation here at Cenovus,” Mukherjee said. “We have always had a strong commitment to sustainability, the communities we work with and the environment. We believe in failing fast, learning quickly and deploying the best technology solutions that will serve our business and planet in the long-term.”
Are you ready to make moves in Calgary’s tech scene, working with forward- thinking companies like Cenovus? Visit the careers page on Live Tech, Love Life to see what opportunities are out there in our burgeoning innovation ecosystem.