Ottawa has announced a $300,000 investment in the first phase of the Biofoam Insulation Challenge, aimed at developing greener insulation products from forest residues.
The investment will be split between two recipients whose concepts are comparable in price and performance to traditional insulations, are bio-based (predominantly derived from domestic forest residue), fully recyclable and generate fewer emissions during production. The recipients are:
- Mecanum Inc., based in Sherbrooke, Que., which is developing a thermo-acoustic foam insulation panel using a minimum of 60 per cent kraft lignin, a wood pulp component used to generate energy.
- Western Maple Bio Resources Inc., based in London, Ontario, which is using pine sawdust and forest residue to develop a biofoam made with more than 70 per cent bio-content.
“Our government is proud to invest in breakthrough technologies, like the ones being developed by Mecanum Inc. and Western Maple Bio Resources Inc. through the Biofoam Insulation Challenge,” says Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources. “By using forest residue, these innovators are developing bio-based foam insulation products that are greener and less flammable than other products on the market.”
Sponsored by Natural Resources Canada, the challenge is part of the Domestic Plastics Challenge under the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program. If accepted into the second phase of the challenge, the recipients could receive up to $1 million to develop a working prototype of their innovation.
ISC is a $100 million program dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to complex environmental challenges. The Government of Canada may then act as a first customer, helping these small businesses commercialize their innovations, scale up their business and create good jobs for Canadians.
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