Our technology consists of a probe to determine CO2 emission from soils. It is suitable for unattended deployments where it monitors CO2 emissions continuously, and with high reliability.

Rather than an evolution of common emission measurement technology, our technology constitutes an entirely new measurement principle that results in high field reliability. It is based on two underlying technologies:

The DiffConvert
This patent-protected technology allows for fast in-situ testing of the potential rate of gas transport in soil. This is a critical parameter in research and industrial applications where gas migration rates must be quantified. Until now, there has been no method to quantify gas diffusion rates quickly and easily onsite – this system is a world first. Used extensively in forest soil CO2 sequestration research.

The FluxSolve
Developed for long-term continuous detection of gas emission rates, this technique builds on our The DiffConvert Technology. Applicable to any gas for which there is a commercially available sensor. Unlike existing chamber-based technologies, our hardware is inexpensive, simple (1 internal moving part), and is not succeptible to weather impacts. These factors maximize reliability and long-term performance. This technology is at the proof-of-concept stage, which is being conducted with CO2 as the target gas. The current prototype has applications for long-term continuous monitoring of CO2 at deep injection sites, or at natural field sites where CO2 research is being conducted.

On-going research StFX Environmental Sciences Research Centre (ESRC) is helping to develop innovative solutions for carbon dioxide monitoring.

Primary market focus for the technology is monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO2) release from Carbon Capture and subsurface Storage (CCS) projects, in which CO2 emissions are sequestered in porous geologic formations. Canada sees CCS as an attractive mechanism to meet emissions targets. Monitoring of CO2 leakage is a necessary part of CSS; to ensure that storage is successful; and to mitigate the serious health and safety risks associated with leakage. Current projects use expensive research technologies, but ours is better suited to industrial CCS applications, potentially providing higher quality and continuous site data at reduced cost.

Our technology would also be very suitable for long-term unattended deployment as part of ecological observatory networks, to help document rates of natural soil CO2 emissions under a changing climate.

Not suitable for survey-type measurements. Installation may be difficult on very coarsely-textured surfaces (gravel and cobbles etc).

The technology sits at a developmental stage appropriate for an intensive commercialization project, and we seek funding to support

1. final proof-of-concept,
2. field trials and
3. final patent protection.

Matching contributions will be provided by the applicants and industrial partners. The project will provide us with critical data and expertise to commercialize products and services related to the technology.

We are confident that legislators will recognize the advantages of our technology for CCS. At the moment, we are presented with an immediate opportunity because legislators internationally are collaborating to develop CCS legislation, and are looking to Canada by virtue of our experience with CCS. We seek to prove the advantages of our technologies at Canadian sites so that our technology can be adopted by legislators in other countries. This will provide strong incentive for customers to buy our technology.

Field deployments at various observatory sites will begin during summer 2008.