Alberta Innovates commissioned the first industry-accessible carbon fibre production research facility in Canada, a strategic milestone for the composites supply chain and advanced materials ecosystem.

At Alberta Innovates, we don t just see carbon fibre as a material we see it as a catalyst, says Alberta Innovates CEO Mike Mahon. A conduit for cleaner energy, smarter design and resilient systems. It s where science meets sustainability, and where Alberta s ingenuity takes flight.

By using bitumen for high-value applications, Alberta is increasing the economic return on each barrel, while establishing the Canadian market for carbon fibre products. says Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals Alberta.

By using Alberta bitumen to produce the high-value materials that power the industries of tomorrow, we re expanding the opportunities that this resource has created for generations, says the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).

This new Carbon Fibre Processing Facility will turn Alberta s vast bitumen reserves into world-class carbon fibre, opening new markets and creating new opportunities for our province and the Prairie economy. Through investing in projects like this, our government is empowering businesses to innovate, protecting good jobs and building the strongest economy in the G7.

The facility s first clients will be the finalists of the Alberta Innovates Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge, a $20 million competition to accelerate the development of production for carbon fibre from bitumen-derived feedstocks and promote their use in manufactured products.

One of the main challenges innovation faces is the gap between laboratory research and commercialization, often due to the lack of pilot-scale infrastructure, says Yasmine Abdin, President & COO, Fibernx, a BC-based carbon fibre company that will be relocating to Alberta to be one of the facility s first clients. This facility allows us to validate our current manufacturing processes on a larger scale and identify the adjustments needed for real-life production. This facility serves as the vital link between research and manufacturing, to enable faster commercialization of carbon fibre technologies.

Key Highlights of the Facility: 

• It is Canada s only industry accessible, fully integrated carbon fibre test facility from feedstock preparation to final fibre production.
• It is the only facility in the world that uses bitumen from Canadian oil sands as a carbon fibre feedstock which is significantly less greenhouse-gas-intensive than traditional feedstock.
• Using bitumen for carbon fibre production has the potential to increase the economic return on each barrel.
• The facility is open to all industries looking to test and scale carbon fibre-based manufacturing processes
• Its capabilities span small-batch runs to continuous pilot-scale processing, giving innovators flexible pathways from concept to commercialization.
• Backed by 15+ years of expertise in hydrocarbon processing and carbon fibre development, the facility combines infrastructure and expertise to accelerate innovation in carbon fibre production from bitumen.

The facility includes:

• Feedstock preparation reactors and distillation units
• Filament spinners
• Lab-scale continuous fibre processing line
• Pilot scale continuous fibre processing line

This project represents a pivotal shift in North America s carbon fibre landscape moving from reliance on imported feedstocks toward domestic capabilities that have the potential to drive cost efficiencies and forge new composites value chains.

Source albertainnovates.ca