Canada Investing in the Use of Wood Products for Automotive Applications

TORONTO, Oct. 15, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is building a clean energy future and supporting the natural resource sectors. Forestry is an important source of jobs for Canadians, and the industry continues to find innovative ways to create new markets for Canadian wood.

The Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced $1.2 million to GreenNano Technologies Inc., a company based in Toronto, to scale up production of a new lightweight wood-fibre–based composite material to create automotive parts using an innovative process.

The project will combine wood pulp with polymers to create a special strong and lightweight thermoplastic with more uniform and improved properties compared to other products. The new product, if successfully applied in the automotive sector, could have a number of consumer and commercial applications, including aerospace parts, pharmaceuticals, solar panels and cosmetics.

GreenNano is also collaborating with Ford Canada's Power Engineering Research and Development Centre, located in Windsor, Ontario, to test the new material in the production of lightweight car parts.

Funding for this project is provided through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program, which encourages the Canadian forest sector to adopt and implement unique technologies and processes to diversify into new product streams and into emerging markets. By investing in innovative forest sector technologies, the forest sector can provide greener solutions that will help tackle climate change and transition to a low-carbon economy.

Canada's forest sector is a major employer of Canadians, including Indigenous people and people in rural and remote communities. A competitive and resilient forest sector is essential to communities and workers across the country.

Quotes

"This is another example of the incredible innovation coming out of our forest sector. It is always exciting to see Canadian companies developing new products that will benefit Canadians."

The Honourable Marco Mendicino
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

"Using forest products in the automotive sector is a great example of the high-tech future of forestry. Companies like GreenNano Technologies are creating good jobs and finding new markets for Canadian wood."

The Honourable Seamus O'Regan
Canada's Minister of Natural Resources

"We are pushing our boundaries to transform green innovations in achieving cost-effective, high-throughput technical products, which are energy-efficient and environmentally sound. We are very proud of the project we are undertaking, and we are excited about the partnership we have developed with Natural Resources Canada."

Samir Konar, Vice-President
GreenNano Technologies Inc.

Associated Links

• Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada