Author: kieran

ASL Energy

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At the ASL Family of Companies, we are driven by a profound vision. We envision a future where we not only recognize but deeply honour the invaluable contributions of Indigenous communities. This vision is rooted in fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and progress. As pioneers in our industry, the ASL Family of Companies is steadfastly committed to elevating efficiency and nurturing profound relationships with all stakeholders. Together, we are poised to cultivate a sustainable and thriving ecosystem that serves as a source of benefit for our communities, our people, and the global landscape.

ASL Energy is at the forefront of delivering access solutions through the use of cutting-edge composite and wood matting products, complemented by our local expertise, logistical mastery, and technical prowess. We offer a comprehensive range of project management and consulting services to clients within the global aerospace and defense sectors, as well as the renewable and conventional energy extraction industries. Notably, ASL Energy is a proudly certified Aboriginal-owned business.

At ASL Innovations, we are actively shaping the future with the creation of a modular, deployable Composite Airport System. This revolutionizing innovation ensures safe and secure access to remote regions not only in Canada but also across the globe.

The ASL Family of Companies is headquartered in the vibrant city of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Energy NL & econext Welcome International Renewable Energy Agreement

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(St. John’s, NL – August, 23, 2022) Energy NL and econext welcome the agreement signed today by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a signal to the world that Newfoundland and Labrador can help supply global energy demands.

“I was proud to represent members of Energy NL today in Stephenville as the Prime Minister and Chancellor signed the Canada-Germany Hydrogen Accord between our two nations. Newfoundland and Labrador has an abundant supply of energy that can meet global demand, and do so with low-carbon and renewable energy. Being joined by Kieran Hanley, CEO of econext, to share this day was an exceptional demonstration of our ongoing collaboration and desire to support our members and produce world-class energy products. I look forward to the continued work to bring the principles of this memorandum of understanding to fruition, and the many benefits it will bring our members, province, country, and indeed the world.”
Charlene Johnson, Energy NL CEO

Photo Courtesy @FureyAndrew

Today, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, where they signed the Canada-German Hydrogen Accord to cooperate on renewable energy, specifically wind-to-hydrogen projects, to help meet the energy needs of Germany. The MOU is an important step in Newfoundland and Labrador providing its vast renewable energy resources to Europe and beyond.

“Through discussion papers, strategic research, policy and regulatory guidance, stakeholder engagement, and more – econext and Energy NL have been working diligently to help define the world class hydrogen production potential that exists within Newfoundland and Labrador. We are thrilled that these opportunities are gaining international interest, and we look forward to working with our partners in this province, Canada, and Germany to help realize them. Newfoundland and Labrador is well positioned to make a significant contribution to the world’s pursuit of net zero.”
Kieran Hanley, econext CEO

Energy NL represents approximately 460 member organizations worldwide which are involved in the energy sector. Members are active in all areas of the supply and service sector and include a diverse representation of businesses that range from offshore supply vessels and helicopters, carbon reduction and sustainable technologies, health and safety equipment and training, engineering solutions and fabricators to law firms and human resource agencies.

econext is an association of businesses that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, working on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development.

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Media contacts:

Andrea Nolan
Communications, Energy NL
anolan@EnergyNL.ca

Kieran Hanley
CEO, econext
kieran@econext.ca

GEMTEC Consulting Engineers and Scientists Limited

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Since 1986, GEMTEC has grown from a small geotechnical engineering, materials testing, and environmental engineering firm into a leading multidisciplinary company with offices and CCIL-certified laboratories in Ontario, Quebec, and across Atlantic Canada. Employee-owned with more than 275 engineers, scientists, technical personnel, and support staff, GEMTEC is founded on the solid technical expertise and experience of our highly educated and skilled specialists. For over 30 years, we have served our clients and the public interest with honesty and respect, while providing cost-effective and innovative solutions.

GEMTEC is built on a solid foundation of experience, knowledge, and integrity. Build on GEMTEC.

econext’s Fall Mission to the Caribbean is taking place the week of November 21-25

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Click here to learn more!

econext partners with the Ocean Startup Project to stimulate clean growth innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador

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For Immediate Release
August 16, 2022

St. John’s (NL) – econext is working with the Ocean Startup Project to highlight industry challenges related to Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean growth economy.

The partnership is part of the Ocean Startup Challenge which aims to uncover and support early stage entrepreneurial ideas or technologies in the oceans sector. The Ocean Startup Challenge will award approximately $750,000 to founders and teams across the country. In addition to the funding, winners will receive ocean-specific programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more.

“Our province is home to a world class cleantech cluster, with much of our technology being oceans focused,” said Kieran Hanley, CEO at econext. “It is important to recognize and build on these strengths to help solve the problems that will help fight climate change and grow our green and blue economies.” Hanley said that partnering with the Ocean Startup Project to present Innovation Spotlights will help draw attention to opportunities particularly relevant in the Newfoundland and Labrador context.

Innovation Spotlights aim to inspire and encourage prospective entrepreneurs to develop cutting-edge technologies and solve real-world problems the ocean sector is facing. These Innovation Spotlights are areas where Canadian-based innovators can achieve significant wins based on capability, natural assets and skillset, while driving change within the industry that is more sustainable and efficient.

“We are seeing really strong momentum in Canada’s ocean startup ecosystem with net-new entrepreneurs, more research being commercialized and new ocean hubs being created to foster ocean technology,” said Donald Grant, Executive Director at the Ocean Startup Project. “What we know in Canada is that there is a deep, inherent knowledge of the ocean, world-class research occurring and an awakening appetite for sustainable, innovative solutions – and that is what we are intending to leverage through the Ocean Startup Challenge and Innovation Spotlights.”

The partnership is highlighting three industry challenges, including:

  • The development of a more reliable and lower-cost technology and/or process to monitor and manage the subsea assets of clean energy infrastructure that will withstand the challenges presented by the North Atlantic (e.g., icebergs, geology, weather conditions). More Info
  • The development of a technology and/or process that allows ports to maximize the role that they can play in electricity supply and demand management to the benefit of electricity grids. More Info
  • The development of a technology and/or process that allows for finding value in or alternative disposal methods for plastic wastes associated with aquaculture operations. More Info

Hanley said that the Innovation Spotlights were designed to align with emerging clean growth opportunities in the province, as well as with environmental challenges it is already facing. “The solutions that we develop right here in Newfoundland and Labrador can be exported and applied worldwide; we hope to spark the interest of creative and innovative minds here in this province by putting these forward,” Hanley said.

More information on the Ocean Startup Challenge and Innovation Spotlights can be found at https://oceanstartupproject.ca/challenge/. Applications for the 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge are open until September 1, 2022 at 11:59pm ADT.

econext is an association of businesses that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, working on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.

The Ocean Startup Project inspires, initiates and invests, making Canada the best place in the world to start and grow an ocean venture. The project team creates and delivers activities to support ideation through commercialization, for innovators and entrepreneurs from industry to academia. The Ocean Startup Project offerings complement existing industry accelerators, incubators and other support organizations across Canada’s world-class innovation ecosystem. Together with our partners – Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), Genesis Centre, Innovacorp, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, PEI BioAlliance, Springboard Atlantic, Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST), and Technopole Maritime du Québec (TMQ) – the Ocean Startup Project is accelerating how homegrown startups get their technologies to market and attract international companies to Canada’s shores.

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Media Contacts:

Kieran Hanley
CEO
kieran@econext.ca

Laurie Snell
Director of Marketing and Communications, Ocean Startup Project
lsnell@oceanstartupproject.ca

CANCarib Climate Smart Opportunities Summit – Doing Business Bootcamp

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The High Commission of Canada in Jamaica is hosting the inaugural CANCarib Climate Smart Opportunities Summit (CCSOS), a high-level (hybrid) business initiative for Canadian companies, targeting the portfolio of cleantech and associated infrastructure projects in Jamaica. The CCSOS has three (3) components, zeroing in on facilitation of eligible/interested TCS clients with sectoral and market capacity. The components are as follows:

Part I: Opportunities Roundtable – July 6, 2022 – 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Part II: Doing Business Boot-Camp – September 20, 2022

  • This virtual session is intended to provide a full orientation on doing business in Jamaica, to equip Canadian companies with information, processes, tools and tips, the legal process, business development, potential local partners, local project financing/banking, licenses/permits, work permits, etc. when doing business in Jamaica. Presenters will include local officials and experts, facilitated by the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) at the High Commission of Canada in Kingston, Jamaica.

Part III: Business-2-Business Forum – October 20, 2022

Learn more and register

North Atlantic

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From its early beginnings as a petroleum company to today, a province-wide leader in retail gas and convenience, residential, commercial, and wholesale fuels, North Atlantic has called Newfoundland and Labrador home for over 30 years. We’re proud to be the leading fuel provider in the province and part of the transition to a low carbon future. We are committed to lowering vehicle emissions and our collective environmental impact through low carbon fuel and alternative energy solutions.

Become a Registered Energy Advisor Today!

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Innovation Challenge: Reducing Plastic Waste in Aquaculture

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econext and the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) have partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to design and promote three challenges for its 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge.

The Ocean Startup Challenge helps turn entrepreneurial ideas or technology into a wave of opportunity! For 2022, the Ocean Startup Challenge is focusing on idea/early stage ocean startups with a TRL of 4 and below, and supporting innovators who are leveraging Canadian ocean assets and capabilities to develop technologies that can be applied to global ocean problems.

Winning teams will receive up to $40,000 in awards, with invaluable business development supports with programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with our Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more, as part of the program, which runs until March 2023.

Challenge:

Develop a technology and/or process that allows for finding value in or alternative disposal methods for plastic wastes associated with aquaculture operations.

Aquaculture is among the fastest-growing food sectors in the world, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the world’s total seafood production. Increased production also impacts the volume of plastics to be recycled or responsibly disposed of, from harvesting and production processes. Plastic waste is the biggest waste challenge in the aquaculture sector, particularly feedbags. Lack of recycling capacity in rural areas, as well as Tipping fees and transportation costs are considerations, with landfill operators also keen to find alternative solutions. Beyond feedbags, other plastic wastes have to be managed by the sector. Industry reports significant volumes of mixed plastics stockpiled comprising of floats, rope, old cage netting etc.

Application deadline: Thursday, September 1, 2022

More Information

Innovation Challenge: Smart Ports

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The Net Zero Project has partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to design and promote three challenges for its 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge.

The Ocean Startup Challenge helps turn entrepreneurial ideas or technology into a wave of opportunity! For 2022, the Ocean Startup Challenge is focusing on idea/early stage ocean startups with a TRL of 4 and below, and supporting innovators who are leveraging Canadian ocean assets and capabilities to develop technologies that can be applied to global ocean problems.

Winning teams will receive up to $40,000 in awards, with invaluable business development supports with programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with our Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more, as part of the program, which runs until March 2023.

Challenge:

Develop a technology and/or process that allows ports to maximize the role that they can play in electricity supply and demand management to the benefit of electricity grids.

Ports in Canada will play an important role in the pursuit of net zero. Through the use and provision of electrification and/or clean fuels, their infrastructure will be key in decarbonizing marine transportation and industry and economic activity that relies on marine transportation. Some ports will become hubs for the export of hydrogen or other clean fuels. With ports prospectively featuring substantive energy storage infrastructure, it is possible for them to play an important role in helping to levelize and manage grid electricity demand.

Application deadline: Thursday, September 1, 2022

More Information