OCE program launches energy projects

The Ontario Centres of Excellence is investing $13 million in six clean energy projects and targeting areas such as thin film cells for the solar industry, high-capacity fuel cells and off-grid hybrid power systems for use in remote communities. With a total value of $28 million , the projects mark the operational launch of the OCE's Centre of Excellence for Energy which was conceived in 2001.

The 2007 provincial Budget provided $15 million in year-end funding for the competition to stimulate technology development in alternative energy areas where Ontario could demonstrate competitive advantage.

"These projects are bigger than any the OCE has done in the past. The government said , ‘Do something transformative, bigger and get them going," says OCE board chair David McFadden, a partner with Gowlings and chair of its national energy and infrastructure industry group. "Before this competition, the OCEs were spending a total of $6 million on energy-related projects. With this announcement and the input of its partners, it's now involved in $53 million worth of projects."

The six projects were selected from an initial list of 105 which were whittled down to 16 before the final selection by a 19-member evaluation team. All applicants were required to include a university and private sector partner and leverage a matching amount from other sources.

"I was formerly the chair of an advisory committee that recommended the energy centre in 2001. It took four more years and two different governments before it was created," says McFadden. "These six projects all share real research excellence, they're leading-edge and transformative and they have broader economic impact."

McFadden says the $2 million left over from the competition may go to promising projects that require further development.

For a complete list of the projects and their partners, go to www.oce-ontario.org (media releases).

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