A number of dignitaries and government officials were on hand at the Carbon Capture summit on Thursday, May 11 in Estevan.

Mayor of Estevan, Roy Ludwig was on the tour.

"I've had the opportunity to tour the plant before but I still enjoy doing so. It was great. The SPC employees did a fabulous job and it was a very good tour. Not only of the coal plant but of the power plant and the carbon capture unit."

He added that he was very impressed by the compressor and the ability to increase pressure to the extent that it does. He also mentioned the importance the facility has to Estevan.

"It has a huge influence on Estevan. It's a big part of our future. With the employees we have, it's huge."

He adds that growth to the other units is also very important. And advances in this type of technology is imperative for the community and the economic stability of the entire area.

SaskParty MLA for Estevan, Lori Carr was also in attendance and believed that summits like this are a great way to showcase the world class technology found right here at home. 

"It's an amazing project. I truly believe this project is an economic driver. Coal is not all that popular, but with this technology, we can still use resources right here in our own backyard that bring affordable energy to the city and to the province."

Dr. Robert Kitchen, the MP for Souris-Moose Mountain made the trip from Ottawa to attend the summit. 

"I've lived here for 30 some odd years and I've watched this grow and it's tremendous to see it's coming to fruition. This technology is something that we as Canadians can advocate for for the rest of the world. I'm learning more and more each day and hopefully I can express that to people. I want to congratulate the chamber for what they've done and how they've put this together."

He also spoke of the misconception that some people in Ottawa often have about employment in Saskatchewan. He said that if a coal plant shut down, it is not as simple as going around the corner to get another job. Most people he speaks to don't understand that an entire community can based off of one industry and to completely shut it down would mean wiping out that community. He hopes that through that summit, he can return to Ottawa and showcase the technology here.

"People don't understand what is going on and celebrate what a great thing we do. In Taiwan, they are shutting down nuclear power plants because they are on a fault line and they are looking at other ways to generate power. Coal is what they have." He added that if they understand what technology we have here, they could be able to implement it there and therefore reduce emissions globally. 

The keynote speaker of the afternoon was the Minister of Environment for the Government of Saskatchewan, Scott Moe. He spoke about the importance of sharing this technology around the world. 

"The knowledge that we are utilizing here in Estevan with carbon capture and storage at Boundary Dam is a real pertinent part of moving forward not just in Saskatchewan but as we move forward in the world and addressing emissions. There are 2400 coal fired electrical powered generators that are looked at being built around the world and if we want to be serious about reducing emissions not just in our nation or province or community, we need to share this type of knowledge."

The afternoon saw other presentation by members in the carbon capture and storage industry as well as people from the oil industry. 

READ MORE: Scientists and Industry Leaders Attend Carbon Capture Summit in Estevan

READ MORE: Carbon Capture Facility Tour showcases Pioneering Technology