News release

Funding Supports Green Technology Development, Energy-Saving Initiatives

Environment (April 2008 - Feb. 2021)

NOTE: A list of projects that will receive funding follows this release.


Premier Darrell Dexter announced more than $2 million today, July 15, to help Nova Scotia move closer to a cleaner, greener environment

The funding is part of the ecoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change.

"Investing in a greener economy is the right decision for Nova Scotia, and for the entire Atlantic region, as climate change is an issue that affects all of us," said Premier Dexter. " Government is showing genuine leadership by supporting the development of leading edge technologies that are good for the environment, and good for Nova Scotia's economy."

The Lafarge cement plant in Brookfield received $670,000, helping it become the first in North America to produce lower carbon cement. Carbon Sense Solutions in Halifax received $467,000 to capture carbon dioxide in pre-formed concrete on an industrial scale.

"The ecoNova Scotia fund has helped more than 140 businesses, municipalities and organizations reduce air emissions that contribute to climate change," said Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau. "We are making life better for families in every region by improving the health of our environment and our economy."

"The ecoNova Scotia program represents a dynamic partnership between government and industry," said Scarth MacDonnell, plant manager at Lafarge's Brookfield Cement Plant. "The funding allows Lafarge Canada Inc. to move forward installing new equipment to continue to make top quality cement using fewer raw materials and reducing fossil fuel demands.

"This initiative extends the life of the Brookfield quarry, reduces fossil fuel consumption and plant emissions, and expects to reduce overall CO2 emissions by more than 70,000 tonnes a year."

Other businesses receiving funding include Scotian Windfields Inc., CADtech Innovations Inc., and N-Viro Systems Canada LP. Municipalities receiving funding include Colchester, East Hants, West Hants, Halifax Regional Municipality and the Town of Truro.

The projects announced today are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 81,000 tonnes -- equal to taking 18,000 cars off the road -- and cut almost 350 tonnes of major air pollutant emissions.

Projects funded by ecoNova Scotia help meet the objectives of the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act and the Climate Change Action Plan.

The ecoNova Scotia fund administers funding from an original $42.5 million grant from the government of Canada.

For more information on the fund, visit www.gov.ns.ca/ecoNovaScotia .


The following is a list of projects and programs receiving funding (total $2,041,441):

  • $670,000 - Lafarge Canada Inc., Brookfield Cement Plant, Colchester Co., to install equipment and material handling systems needed to produce a cement that delivers equivalent performance with a lower carbon footprint

  • $467,188 - Carbon Sense Solutions, Halifax , to conduct a full-scale implementation of a new process that will use carbon dioxide instead of steam to cure concrete, and therefore save energy and capture carbon dioxide in the product

  • $53,627 - Scotian Windfields Inc., Dartmouth, to develop a space-saving system that uses phase change materials (able to change from a solid to a liquid) to store the energy produced by renewable solar energy installations

  • $41,200 - CADtech Innovations Inc., Eastern Passage, to improve the technology used in industrial pumping systems to substantially increase efficiency and save energy

  • $221,000 - N-Viro Systems Canada LP, Goffs, Halifax Regional Municipality, to conduct a full-scale test run to produce N-ViroFuel, a renewable fuel substitute

  • $107,980 - Halifax Regional Municipality, to replace the hydraulic cooling system on public transit busses with an electric version, resulting in improved fuel economy by up to 10 per cent

  • $138,457 - The Town of Truro, Colchester Legion Stadium, to install a system to recover heat from the existing refrigeration plant to supply heat to the arena's flood water, replace the facility's existing boiler system and install an energy efficient ceiling system

  • $60,825 - Municipality of Colchester, Tatamagouche Branch Library, to construct a new building designed to meet LEED Silver standards with emission reductions of more than 50 per cent compared to the Model National Energy Code for buildings

  • $194,500 - Municipality of East Hants, Energy and Emissions Action Plan, to upgrade six municipal facilities including insulation, lighting, and solar hot air and water panels

  • $77,020 - Municipality of West Hants, to install an energy efficient heating system in the municipal office building

  • $9,644 - Municipality of West Hants, Falmouth Sewage Treatment Plant, to upgrade the blowers by adding variable frequency devices to run the motors at reduced rates and on timers.