Canada & private industry invest in Saltworks’ innovative AirBreather technology
The Saltworks Team and the Honorable Harjit Sajjan in front of the AirBreather Plant — Photo courtesy Saltworks
Saltworks is readying a breakthrough solution to treat produced water in the natural gas industry. The new product – called the “AirBreather” – will be deployed at commercial scale with investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). This innovation leverages earlier support from British Columbia’s Innovative Clean Energy (BC ICE) fund which facilitated technology now used in the AirBreather.
The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, and Joe Peschisolido, Member of Parliament for Steveston-Richmond East, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced the SDTC investment at Saltworks’ headquarters and manufacturing facility in Richmond, BC.
Saltworks was also honoured to host representatives from SDTC, the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), Innovate BC, Global Affairs Canada, and City of Richmond.
The AirBreather is a first-of-its kind, waste heat driven evaporator-crystallizer that safely and reliably reduces the cost and environmental impact of produced water disposal from shale gas extraction. With SDTC’s investment, the AirBreather will be demonstrated in industry and scaled up for commercial roll out, where it can improve the competitiveness and sustainability of Canadian natural gas.
“Our government’s investment in this revolutionary clean innovation, developed right here in Canada builds on our plan to strengthen Canada’s economy though innovation,” said The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence. “This investment will not only help the oil and gas industry reduce wastewater and greenhouse gas emissions, it also will reduce costs for the industry, helping to maintain jobs and create new ones. Innovative companies like Saltworks demonstrate how a strong economy and a clean environment go hand-in-hand.”
Joshua Zoshi, Saltworks’ Chief Operating Officer, commented, “Saltworks is proud to be the recipient of commercialization support for of the AirBreather demonstration project. We look forward to establishing this developed-in-Canada technology as the leading solution for economic and sustainable treatment of produced water in Canada’s natural gas sector.”
The AirBreather is a descendant of Saltworks commercial SaltMaker – a low energy, zero-liquid-discharge brine management technology. After completing SaltMaker trials in shale, the Saltworks team realized there was a better way. Hence, the AirBreather was born.
SDTC, IRAP, and the BC ICE fund have all been an important part of Saltworks’ growth, helping the company create high skill jobs, win major international and competitive orders, develop two new BC-based production facilities, and become a world leader in environmentally focused industrial water treatment.
About Saltworks
Saltworks Technologies is a leader in the development and delivery of solutions for industrial wastewater treatment and desalination. Founded in 2008, the Company offers thermal and membrane systems for brine concentration, zero liquid discharge, and advanced separations. By working with customers to understand their unique challenges and focusing on continuous innovation, Saltworks’ solutions provide best-in-class performance and reliability on challenging waters. From its headquarters in Richmond, BC, Canada, Saltworks designs, builds and operates full-scale treatment plants and offers comprehensive offsite and onsite testing services with its fleet of mobile pilots.
