Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Grant Hunter announced new funding to help advance oilsands mine water management and tailings pond reclamation. (Image Credit: Government of Alberta)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Environment

Alberta announces new tools to clean up tailings ponds

Mar 6, 2026 | 2:09 PM

Alberta’s government says it is investing $46 million into cutting-edge technologies that will safely reduce oilsands mine water and reclaim tailings ponds.

According to the government, Alberta’s oilsands produce some of the most responsible energy in the world. Provincial officials say the oilsands have drastically cut freshwater use per barrel and built strong, science-based foundations for responsible closure, but billions of litres are stored in tailings ponds.

The government says the $46 million investment will come through the TIER fund to develop the innovative technologies needed to safely and effectively reduce tailings ponds and clean the water. Led by three major oil companies, a post-secondary institution and two businesses, provincial officials suggest this funding will help reclaim the water in tailing ponds and eventually return the land for use by future generations.

“The world is looking for responsibly produced energy, and Alberta is delivering,” said Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, in a press release this week. “With industry leadership and TIER investment, we’re deploying technologies that clean up mine water, protect land and water, and deliver the jobs and competitiveness Alberta needs.”

“Alberta is the most responsible energy producer in the world, and we are committed to the protection of our water and environment in every project,” stated Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals. “This funding backs up our commitment as a province of innovators and solving challenges in the energy sector for the betterment of our future.”

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“Alberta’s government is taking action to address tailings ponds,” added Tany Yao, MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. “These projects will help us continue to provide the responsible energy that communities and the world need, all while protecting our environment and water for future generations.”

Delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta, the government says this funding will support nine innovative, real-world projects. This is said to include technologies to remove bitumen and chemicals from mine water, dry and settle tailings faster, and use wetlands to naturally and safely clean water.

“These projects will advance cutting-edge solutions, from water treatment and recycling technologies to enhanced tailings stabilization,” shared Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta. “This significant investment will help reduce environmental impact, accelerate reclamation and improve operational efficiency across Alberta’s oilsands.”

The government says for example, that CNRL will use $18 million in provincial funding to reduce liquid waste and expensive, energy-intensive equipment in Wood Buffalo, while Imperial will use $12.8 million to test a new way to treat tailings that reuses more water and speeds up land reclamation north of Fort McMurray.

Officials say Suncor will use $7.5 million for two pilot projects, including demonstrating established technologies to treat oilsands mine water, helping manage growing volumes of stored water and advancing the reclamation and closure of tailings facilities. Meanwhile, the province says NAIT will create standards to help measure treatment performance and adopt new technologies across the oilsands.

Combined, the nine projects are estimated to create 1,400 jobs and add $220 million to Alberta’s economy by 2027, claim government officials.

“Through collaboration and innovation, we’re advancing projects that directly support our reclamation, water management and environmental goals,” said Peter Zebedee, executive vice-president, Upstream, Suncor. “These investments will further advance technologies that enable us to safely treat oilsands mine water, reclaim our mine sites and return the land to self-sustaining boreal forest ecosystems.”

“Innovation remains central to Canada’s oilsands,” stated Kendall Dilling, president, Oil Sands Alliance. “Industry leaders regularly join forces to invest in advanced environmental technologies, including mine water and tailings management. We look forward to seeing the results of these investments and how they shape the future of oilsands development.”

“The Government of Alberta and Emissions Reduction Alberta are critical catalysts for technology-enabled energy and environmental sustainability,” explained Zac Young, president, H2nanO. “Their funding support strengthens our Albertan partnership to scale and iterate innovative technology for water reuse and purification, enabling cleaner resources from here to the broader world.”

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Alberta government quick facts

• A complete list of projects is available on Emissions Reduction Alberta’s website.
• Investments range from $1 million to $15 million per project.
• All mines produce tailings that need to be managed. In the oilsands, tailings include a mixture of water, sand, clay and residual bitumen that are the byproduct of the oil extraction process.
• Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds contain more than 1.5 billion cubic metres of fluid tailing and more than 380 million cubic metres of water, highlighting the scale of the challenge and the need for the new technologies being funded. 
• From 2013 to 2023, oilsands mine operations reduced the amount of fresh water used per barrel by 28 per cent. Recycled water use increased by 51 per cent over that same period.
• Oilsands operators are responsible for site management and reclamation, while ongoing research continues to inform and refine best practices to support effective policy and regulatory outcomes.