Construction begins on carbon capture HQ in B.C.
By Adam Freill
Commercial Construction Green ConstructionGround-breaking ceremony launches construction of Svante’s new global headquarters.
From the left: Minister Ravi Kahlon, Dennis Kuschminder, Minister Bruce Ralston, Minister Harjit Sajjan, Brett Henkel, Claude Letourneau, Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, Councillor Pietro Calendino, David Claggett. (Photo: Business Wire)
Canadian carbon capture and removal technology provider, Svante, hosted its ground-breaking ceremony this week in Burnaby, B.C. to launch the construction of its new world headquarters. The company is calling the structure The Centre of Excellence for Carbon Capture & Removal.
In addition to being the company’s head office, the centre will also be Canada’s first-of-a-kind commercial-scale carbon capture and removal manufacturing facility, where Svante’s patented filter modules will be produced for the capture of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere and from industrial flue gas.
“We know it’s possible to get to net zero. We know it is possible to get to net zero while creating jobs. We know it is possible to get to net zero while also growing our economy… Together we can show the world that Svante, British Columbia, and Canada have what it takes to be leaders in carbon capture,” said Harjit Sajjan, Minister of International Development. Last summer, the Canadian government announced that it would provide $25 million in funding for Svante’s carbon capture technology.
Brett Henkel, Svante’s co-founder and vice-president of strategic accounts and government affairs, started the company in his garage in 2007. The magnitude of the move to a much larger facility was at the fore of his comments.
“Here, we’ll employ over 200 British Columbians and many more around the globe. We’ll be able to scale up our commercial manufacturing facilities to deliver filter modules that can capture millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, both from the atmosphere and from industrial flue gas,” he explained. “I’m thrilled at the opportunity we have in front of us today… to make a real, global impact… to take action on climate change.”
Minister Kahlon commented on the importance of companies like Svante in helping the province achieve its economic and environmental goals, explaining, “This is a big day for Svante. It’s a big day for Burnaby. But it’s also a big day for British Columbia. Svante’s new Centre of Excellence for Carbon Capture and Removal is an outstanding example of innovation here in British Columbia. It’s also an outstanding example of the vision that we share: for building a clean and inclusive economy that works for all British Columbians.”
