Earlier this year, Burnaby’s Svante Technologies made inroads in Alberta. The move eastward is partially powered by a newly formed partnership with Mercer International, a Vancouver-based producer of forest products like pulp and timber for global markets.
The Canadian cleantech’s carbon capture project is targeting biogenic CO2 emissions from Mercer’s Peace River pulp mill, where the forestry firm’s biomass is sourced from sustainably managed woodland.
Mercer’s Peace River pulp mill produces nearly 500,000 tonnes of hardwood and softwood pulp per year, and the B.C. entity is hoping to slash emissions by a significant margin over the next half-decade.
One of the strategies the firm intends to adopt in Canada is carbon sequestration. Within Alberta, carbon sequestration is a sensible tactic to apply, according to Mercer International’s chief executive officer, Juan Carlos Bueno.
“The reason why we’re doing it there is because the mill is located in Alberta, where you have geological formations that are suitable for sequestering CO2,” Bueno informed Andrew Snook of Pulp & Paper Canada.
“You don’t have to take it long distances,” he continued, referring to the carbon. “You’re right where you need to be, and that makes the project financially viable.”
Finalizing investment in the project, however, is no small consideration. There is a price tag north of $500 million, according to P&P, and moving forward would require extensive support from both the Province of Alberta and Government of Canada.
“We’re working with them, going through all the phases that are needed, before we are ready for an investment decision,” Bueno explained. “Alberta is incredibly supportive in both the policy framework and offsetting the technology risks, and that makes a difference.”
The Mercer CEO also said that he wants to be certain that “the technology works” at scale.
Svante’s capture system utilizes proprietary filters, which are designed to selectively capture carbon dioxide from industrial flue gas. These filters are coated with nano-materials that bind CO₂ molecules while allowing other gases to pass through. Filters saturate, and are then heated to release the CO₂, which can be compressed for purposes of transit and storage.
Bueno acknowledged that Svante has already tested and demonstrated its cleantech, but also noted that this project would be the upstart’s first large-scale pulp mill investment.
“We would be the first of a kind for their technology,” he said, “and that’s why it takes a bit longer to make sure that we have it all squared through,” suggesting a timeframe of two years before a final decision is made.
Seeking to achieve superior scale, Svante unveiled a global first: a gigafactory dedicated solely to producing commercial-scale carbon capture and removal filters.
Should Mercer’s investment occur, construction would take an additional two years, with carbon sequestration forecast to begin sometime in 2029.
Svante cleantech secured $137M from the Canada Growth Fund in 2024 to push forward the company’s development and construction of commercial carbon capture projects.
This year, the climatech startup made TIME & Statista’s Top Greentech Companies of 2025, the 2025 Global Cleantech 100, the XPRIZE Foundation’s XB100 – World’s Top 100 Deep Tech Companies, and the Corporate Knights’ Future 50 Fastest Growing Sustainable Companies.
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