Regulatory Approval for Heat and Steam Recovery Technologies

Issue

Lack of consistency and collaboration between provincial governments are inhibiting the entrance of innovative technologies and lucrative business opportunities in the steam and heating recovery market. To attract new steam and heating technology into Alberta and to the rest of Canada, streamlining the provincial regulations around heat recovery steam generation is necessary.

Background

The global heat recovery steam generator market is projected to reach USD 1.2 billion by 2026, with North America expected to hold the largest market share. Deployment of heat recovery steam generation provides opportunities for clean energy initiatives within the power industry, oil, and gas industry, chemical, and paper and pulp industries and others. Canada’s significantly smaller market in comparison to the United States demands that the country be proactive in reducing barriers to new investments.

Each province currently has separate approval mechanisms in place for the regulation of technology within the steam and heating industry. The differing safety codes regulations that exist within each province prevent technology from moving freely across the nation without rigorous and costly inspections and authorizations.

Recommendations

The Alberta Chambers of Commerce recommends the Government of Alberta moves quickly to start:

1. With consultation from stakeholders, develop requirements that are supportive of the adoption of wet steam and waste heat conversion technologies for regulations within the steam and heating sector;

2. Ensure that the regulations apply to any new products, processes, and technologies, as well as all existing products, processes, and technologies;

3. Work to ensure that regulations provincially and federally are streamlined, consistently applied, and have a coordinated regulatory approval process;

4. Implement a product-review standard between the various regulators. If the product or technology meets the criteria, then it passes for all the regulators; and,

5. Allow for a streamlined process for exemption approval as modern technologies are introduced.