The Carbon Capture Test Facility located at the Shand Power Station is about to receive a new set of tenants to conduct chemistry research.

"We're pleased to announce that Shell Cansolv, what we refer to as Cansolv Technologies, are the new clients," shared SaskPower's Vice President of Power Production, Howard Matthews.

"They're going to be doing a number of things, but essentially it boils down to what improvements they can make to the chemistry that will certainly help them out around the aiming, making improvements to, helping reduce costs and increase the capture (of carbon). Really it helps develop the next generation of CCS technology, so it can get a leg up right here in Saskatchewan."

The CCTF, summed up, is a real life operating carbon capture test bed for companies interested in studying and expanding on the science of carbon capture. The previous occupant was Mitsubishi-Hitachi, who conducted their studies of a similar nature to the new tenants from the CCTF's start in June of 2015 to March of 2017. Shell Cansolv will take over for the next year or so to use the space to test chemical applications from their angle.

"Our hope is that the results of the testing work going on at the CCTF will have immediate benefits to us over at our CCS facility at Boundary Dam, as Cansolv makes improvements to the chemistry and process. We would expect to see those implemented," said Matthews, adding that the facility has been performing well, but there's always room for betterment.

"That would then offer up that technology to be utilized not just for the existing CCS units, but perhaps other SaskPower facilities, and Cansolv can look at it on the world stage as well."

He noted that the long term result for the southeast would be cleaner coal, and thus extending the life of the energy source and the associated economy so relied on heavily in the region.

Mitsubishi-Hitachi's term of study was quite successful, and actually had extended their time in the place to continue research.