Responding to Canada's needs from COVID‑19 to Climate Change - Annual Report 2019‑2020

Climate change mitigation

Leading-edge science driving the low-carbon economy

Fossil fuels are the world's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, making zero-emissions transportation fuels one of the greatest opportunities to mitigate the effects of climate change. Launched in 2019, our seven-year Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge Program — hosted by our Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre — will create new materials to underpin the production of renewable fuels and enable a cleaner, more sustainable, low-carbon energy and petrochemical industry.

This program is focused on discovering and developing membranes, catalysts and other materials for use in early-stage exploratory technologies that will help reduce the cost of producing and storing clean hydrogen fuel. It also aims to scale up Canada's ability to capture and convert carbon dioxide into renewable fuels and chemical feedstocks. Through it, we will collaborate with leaders in government, industry and academia around the world, including universities in Germany and the United Kingdom.

Engaging with our stakeholders

In February, we attended the Globe 2020 Forum in Vancouver, where we connected with leaders from the public and private sectors in a roundtable discussion on our environmental research, clean technology initiatives and NRC IRAP investments in cleantech firms.

Defining our strategy

We redefined our environmental research strategy in 2019. A workshop held in November brought together partners from within the federal government, academia, research organizations and industry. They helped us identify actions, outcomes and frameworks that will allow us to maximize our impact in reducing emissions and advancing innovative approaches to environmental sustainability — all key to achieving our goals related to climate change.

Powering the future of transportation

Electric vehicles (and the batteries that power them) provide another path to a low-carbon future. Our Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre launched a new project last year with long-time collaborator TM4 — a manufacturer of electric vehicle motors and powertrain systems based in Boucherville, Quebec — to identify new ways of improving motor performance using soft magnetic composite (SMC) powder. Our modelling and simulation team worked with our powder forming team to investigate several state-of-the-art motor designs that take advantage of SMC. The three most promising were then selected for 3D electro-magnetic simulations.

This new project builds on seven years of joint innovation with TM4, including the design and engineering of the Sumo MD motor for electric buses (which uses SMC powder developed and optimized by Rio Tinto Metal Powders), which has now logged 950 million kilometres of operations. About 17,000 Sumo MD motors are slated for delivery to market in 2021, amounting to roughly $100 million in sales for TM4. This motor also marks the first commercial success for SMC powder, helping to create an all-new product line for Rio Tinto.

Bringing energy storage to the world

In May 2019, the NRC joined the World Bank Energy Storage Partnership, a new international initiative that aims to expand the deployment of energy storage technologies in developing countries with weak electricity grids. We're developing guidelines for the safe operation of energy storage projects and will use the opportunity to ensure lessons learned in Canada's early energy storage deployments — as well as innovative Canadian energy technologies — gain global exposure.

Creating longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries

Researchers from our Nanotechnology Research Centre and the University of Alberta's Department of Physics have managed to double the charge storage capacity of a lithium-ion battery. By testing the batteries at elevated temperatures, they were able to slow diffusion in lithium aluminum electrodes and, for the first time, reversibly form new lithium-rich phases.

"TRIM is recognized inter-nationally as the most reliable research tool for testing thermal runaways in lithium-ion cells. While it was created for the automotive industry, it has applications in other sectors as well, since thermal runaway can occur in any lithium-ion cell."

Making batteries safer

For electric vehicles to be adopted widely, regulators and consumers need to know they are safe. In 2019, our Automotive and Surface Transportation and Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centres performed the world's first full-scale test of a thermal runaway initiation mechanism (TRIM) on a fully operational electric vehicle. TRIM tests the ability of a lithium cell to resist the cascading of a failure to other cells in a larger battery pack — a process called "thermal runaway" that can lead to overheating and explosions. Our TRIM test will be used to identify how packaging materials, cell spacing and thermal management strategies can be deployed to reduce battery failures.

Giving end-of-life batteries a second chance

Lithium-ion batteries are not without their own environmental footprint. Last year, we began developing test standards and diagnostic tools for repurposing certain submodules of end-of-life batteries to avoid having them end up in landfills. (Recycling of these batteries is still quite limited, with most constituent materials, including environmentally hazardous ones, being thrown away.) We are also investigating direct anode regeneration and novel elemental separation techniques to facilitate the recycling of cathode materials — which will lead to more efficient and cost-effective methods for recycling lithium-ion batteries worldwide.

Making Canadian industry more energy efficient

Our Advanced Electronic and Photonics Research Centre is working on sensors that will make it easier to monitor and optimize the efficiency of manufacturing processes. Last year we successfully demonstrated a proof-of-concept for linear infrared detectors for machine-vision applications (imaging-based inspection and analysis) and are creating components that will power Internet of Things sensors, which will help businesses of all kinds track power and fuel consumption, emissions and much more. A demonstration of power-autonomous distributed printed sensor arrays for smart buildings was also completed in collaboration with the Construction Research Centre.

In addition, last year the work of the Advanced Electronic and Photonics Research Centre related to the telecommunications industry was refocused under our new High-throughput and Secure Networks Challenge Program. This includes the development of novel technologies, such as quantum dot multi-wavelength lasers, to help limit the growing demand for power in data centres and other facilities.

Climate change adaptation

For more climate-resilient infrastructure

When most of Canada's buildings, bridges, roads, wastewater systems and other public infrastructure were originally designed, extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as droughts, floods and wildfires, were far less common than they are today. Recent years have been the hottest on record. In 2019–20, we continued our work gathering the data needed to update Canada's design codes, standards and guidelines as part of the Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure Initiative (CRBCPI), a $42.5-million initiative funded by Infrastructure Canada that began in 2016.

We worked with more than 150 collaborators on a number of ongoing CRBCPI projects last year, including government departments at all levels (federal, provincial, municipal), national and international experts from engineering consulting firms, industry, non-profit organizations, academia and the climate science community. Together, we are creating a suite of evidence-based guidance documents and decision-support tools to ensure climate resiliency is fully considered and integrated into the design of new buildings as well as in the rehabilitation of existing buildings and public infrastructure. For example, National Wildland Fire Urban Interface Guidelines are planned for completion in 2020, we are contributing to the new National Guidelines for Flood Resiliency of Buildings to be published in 2021, and our research is informing updates to the Canadian Standards Association's Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code.

In April 2019, we also provided municipalities, developers and other interested parties with direct, free access to the electronic editions of the National Building Code, the National Fire Code, the National Plumbing Code and the National Energy Code for Buildings through the NRC website. Making these codes free in an electronic format has increased their distribution across Canada dramatically: we received 110,000 electronic requests in 2019–20, compared to just 18,500 electronic and paper requests combined the year prior. The review process is currently underway for updates to the next editions of the National Model Code documents.

"Together, Infrastructure Canada and the National Research Council are working to integrate climate resilience into building and infrastructure design through future climate data, guidance, standards and codes. Ultimately, the Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure Initiative will contribute to an infrastructure landscape that can keep Canadian communities safer from extreme weather and the effects of climate change."

Safer ice roads in Canada's North

Many Northern and First Nations communities, as well as mining, logging and oil and gas companies, rely on winter roads to access necessities and receive shipments of goods. Last year, the Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre continued to work with Transport Canada, the Royal Military College and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to find ways to reinforce these roads, especially those that run over floating ice cover and have been unable to reach safe ice thickness in recent years due to changing environmental conditions. This research aims to increase the predictability of ice roads' load-bearing capacity and ability to sustain vehicle weight so that, even with thinner ice underneath, they will still be safe to cross.

The expansion of our Arctic research program last year to include new collaborators and pilot test locations will further support Canada's sustainable development in the North, while improving the quality of life for Northerners through more reliable infrastructure.

Making railways more resilient to changing temperatures

Railways are a critical part of Canada's infrastructure for freight and passenger transportation. Under the CRBCPI, last year researchers from our Construction Research Centre and Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre designed and installed a structural and geotechnical monitoring system on a section of live track at our VIA Rail test site in Ontario. The system measures track temperature, rail strain and track/foundation deformation caused by heat waves, freeze-thaw cycles and other climate effects. The data will help improve future railway installations in permafrost-rich regions where more frequent freeze-thaw cycles are a serious concern, as they can shift the foundation under the tracks and potentially make rail operations unsafe.

Plastics that are better for the environment

Through our Advanced Manufacturing Program, we are working closely with Canadian industry to develop innovative bio-based plastics and adapt manufacturing processes to use these new materials. The new formulations offer performance that is equivalent to traditional plastic products — but because the polyesters are produced naturally by fermentation they are fully biodegradable, making them ideal for the manufacture of compostable product packaging.

Planting the seeds for drought-resistant wheat

Researchers in our Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre continued their efforts to ensure Canadian wheat can withstand drought and other stresses that come with climate change. Our work in this area has included contributing to the wheat genome sequencing effort and identifying the genes for a wax coating that will help retain water and awns for better yields in drought conditions. It also includes ongoing efforts to promote sustained photosynthesis in hot-dry conditions and discover deeper roots that can reach water beneath the surface.

On February 13, 2020, we appointed Dr. Keith Chaulk as Director of the Arctic and Northern Challenge Program. Dr. Chaulk, who is Labrador Inuit, brings a personal understanding of Indigenous issues along with a deep background in the resource industry that will help us further expand our Arctic research program.

Climate change is radically changing the environments of Indigenous communities in Canada's North. Dr. Chaulk advocates for a "top-down approach" when it comes to Northern issues: projects are led by people in the North (the "top" of the world) who have experienced the issues firsthand.

Environmental monitoring & protection

Cleaning up Canada's waterways

Science and research play an important role in keeping our country's landscape clean and safe. Last year, we continued to advance projects that will help prevent or limit the impact on the environment when industrial pollutants and chemicals are released into lakes and rivers.

When sulphuric acid leaches heavy metals out of crushed rock and tailings at mining operations, nearby waterways can become contaminated, causing significant ecological damage today and over the long-term. Last year, our Environmental Advances in Mining program continued its work to better understand the leaching process and how it can be prevented. Following the signing of a December 2019 research services agreement with Quebec's Nouveau Monde Graphite, we began work simulating non- or low-acidic tailings to identify ways of minimizing how air gets into waste rock, which can lead to the formation of sulphuric acid. Preliminary results were presented during Quebec's environmental public hearings in winter 2020.

To advance our work in oil spill detection, last year researchers from our Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre completed testing of technology that uses underwater pulsed lasers and ultrasonic transducers to track and map, in real time, complex oil spills that occur under ice-covered water. The technology can be implemented in a remote operated vehicle, helping to keep people safe during dangerous emergency response scenarios. Test results were highly promising and we are now moving to validate and deploy the technology in real-world conditions.

Researchers from the Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre developed and tested new oil recovery boom designs that outperform conventional technologies for oil spill cleanup when water flow speeds are high. And to support pollution remediation throughout the Great Lakes watershed, we collaborated with U.S. researchers to characterize pollutant loads, predict their movement through the watershed and guide water quality management decision-making.

In addition, we launched a new three-year project in 2019–20 to detect leaking oil in long-haul pipelines. With funding from Natural Resources Canada, researchers from our Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Centre are developing a distributed sensing system based on optical fibre Bragg grating (FBG) technology. When exposed to oil, the thousands of FBG sensors spaced equally along a length of optical fibre create changes in the fibre strain, which can be detected using techniques developed to monitor the health of telecommunications networks. This allows for a leak to be precisely located so a response can be initiated before serious contamination of soil and ground water occurs.

Using nanotechnology to preserve one of our most precious commodities

New technology developed in 2019–20 by our Nanotechnology Research Centre could reduce how much freshwater is used by Alberta's oil sands operations. A lot of water is needed to soften and extract bitumen from the sand so it can be sent through a pipeline to an oil refinery. Working like giant sieves, membranes can help remove pollutants from the oil-produced water to extend the life of a water supply. NRC researchers, in partnership with the IBM Almaden Research Center, the IBM Alberta Centre for Advanced Studies and the University of Alberta, have found a way to make those membranes more efficient, coating them with a unique polymeric nanoparticle that clings strongly to the membrane surface and blocks polluting substances.

This collaborative research is expected to have a significant impact on water management in the oil sands, with the membranes expected to reduce freshwater usage by up to 15 percent.

Canadian clean water technology goes global

Before they can begin to deliver environmental benefits, clean technologies have to get out of R&D and into the marketplace. The NRC IRAP Fast Pilot in Foreign Markets (FPFM), which helps speed up that process, was significantly expanded for 2019–20.

Through FPFM, NRC IRAP provides small and mid-sized companies up to $300,000 in funding to install pilot/demonstration cleantech projects at potential customer sites in other countries. Last year, FPFM supported 16 projects in six countries, doubling the total from 2018–19, including four in China and eight in the United States. Two FPFM-funded demonstration projects in the U.S. involving Vancouver's Axine Water Technologies went into full commercial deployment last year.

In June 2019, NRC IRAP signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of British Columbia to develop a program based on FPFM specifically for SMEs in that province. Through the BC Fast Pilot Program, NRC IRAP will provide funding to cover salary and contractor costs, while Innovate BC will cover materials, travel and capital costs for pre-commercial cleantech demonstration projects.

Clean technologies

Ultrasonic sensors for safer mines

Millions of rock bolts are installed every year to stabilize mine tunnels across Canada. Because seismic activity and blasting affect the bolts' load-bearing capacity, their condition needs to be monitored regularly to keep miners safe. To simplify that process, we developed a rock bolt sensor that uses ultrasonic technology to track bolt stress, deformation and other factors. Rather than pulling out each bolt to visually check its condition, operators simply tap its RFID tag — or monitor them remotely over Wi-Fi or LTE. Now that the technology has been tested in a real mine, last year our Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre began exploring ways to integrate the sensors' real-time data with seismic monitoring and other mining systems.

Slowing the melt

Can engines powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) help reduce ice-melting black carbon emissions from ferries and other ships? A team from our Metrology Research Centre, in collaboration with the University of British Columbia and the University of California Riverside found the answer is a resounding yes. Tests conducted last year on a commercial ferry showed LNG decreased black carbon emissions by 97 percent compared to diesel fuel, and cut other particulate matter emissions by 92 percent. Black carbon is a fine particulate matter formed by the incomplete combustion of fuels. When it falls to the ground, it darkens snow and ice surfaces, causing more sun rays to be absorbed and greatly accelerating the melting of Arctic snow and ice.

"It was very exciting to see how our measurements have a direct application helping a Canadian company assess and improve their environmental performance."

Detecting methane with drones and lasers

Because methane has 20 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide, it is important to detect and reduce emissions of this greenhouse gas from Canada's oil and gas sector. In 2019–20, researchers from our Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Centre field-tested a drone-mounted, battery-powered mid-infrared laser spectrometer, which has the potential to provide highly detailed, remote insights into methane emissions from pipelines and tailing ponds. The NRC has been developing laser-based quantum sensors to detect methane since 2014, with our novel mid-infrared laser technology providing a methane sensitivity 100 times greater than conventional lasers.

Leading the way in sustainable bioplastics

Canada's forestry and agriculture industries are an excellent source of raw materials for sustainable bioplastics and biofuels. In 2019–20, we prepared prototypes and technical datasheets to support paper producer Domtar's commercialization of various lignin-thermoplastic products. We've been working with Domtar for several years to convert lignin, a by-product of chemical pulp mills, into pellets that can be used as a substitute for petroleum-based plastics in a broad range of industrial products.

From the stars to our home

A recent collaboration on astrophotonics between our Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre and Advanced Electronics and Photonics Research Centres has yielded a new molecular detection technique with applications beyond astronomy. Originally intended for planetary exploration, this technique will also allow for greenhouse gas detection and environmental monitoring here on Earth — a perfect example of the new discoveries that can be made when we bring together our capabilities across many different fields of science and engineering.

The NRC's commitment to sustainability

Helping Canada meet its sustainability goals

In alignment with the FSDS, our 2019–20 Departmental Plan integrated environmental performance considerations into all decision-making processes for property management and procurement as part of our commitment to help the Government of Canada reach its low-carbon goals. For example, we required all procurement personnel to complete the Public Service Green Procurement Course, ensured only cleaning products and equipment with minimal environmental impact could be used in our facilities, and contributed to government emissions reductions through improved energy management.

Last year, we began working on the first Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy of our own, separate from those of other agencies in the Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) portfolio. Our broader, more comprehensive three-year strategy will be tabled in September 2020.

Energy savings at our research centres

In 2019–20, the NRC was proud to be among the few science-based departments in Canada to have already met the target of reducing carbon emissions of government buildings by 40 percent (compared to 2005 levels). This was a significant achievement given the complexity and 24/7 operations of most of our laboratory facilities — and a signal that our commitment to completing energy retrofit projects and integrating energy-efficient technologies into our buildings is paying off.

A key contributor was our Aerospace Research Centre, which cut electrical costs by $1 million and helped reduce the NRC's overall emissions by 10 percent last year by becoming a Class A customer under Ontario's Independent Electrical System Operator, offsetting grid consumption with natural gas co-generation and shutting down non-critical building systems during peak times.

Awards and honours

Individual awards and recognitions

• Dr. Kathleen Brière – ISED Deputy Minister's Award of Merit, Leadership in Innovation
• Dr. Pavel Cheben – Public Service Award of Excellence, Government of Canada
• Dr. Pavel Cheben – Fellow, American Physical Society
• Dr. Anant Grewal – Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Dr. David Lockwood – Gordon E. Moore Medal, Electrochemical Society
• Dr. Marek Malac – President, Microscopical Society of Canada
• David MgBoron – ISED Deputy Minister's Award of Merit, Leadership in Innovation
• Dr. Ralph Paroli – Award of Merit, American Society for Testing Materials
• Dr. Prakash Patnaik – Excellence Award, NATO Science & Technology Organization Panel
• Philip Rizcallah – Award of Merit, Canadian Standards Association
• Dr. Mohamad Sabsabi – Award presented at first International Summit on Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
• Jeff Stockhausen – ISED Deputy Minister's Award of Merit, Regional Operations Excellence
• Dr. Joseph Su – Foundation Medal, Fire Protection Research Foundation
• Dr. Zoubir Lounis – Ernest E. Howard Award, American Society of Civil Engineers
• Dr. Alanna Wall – Young Contributor Award, NATO Applied Vehicle Technology Panel
• Dr. Priti Wanjara – G. MacDonald Young Award, American Society for Materials Canada Council
• Dr. Priti Wanjara – Fellowship Award, Canadian Welding Bureau
• Dr. Dan-Xia Xu – Fellow, Royal Society of Canada

NRC overall awards

Provincial Employer Support Award, Canadian Forces Liaison Council

NRC leadership

Senior executive committee (composition as of May 1, 2020)

Iain Stewart
President

Maria Aubrey
Vice-President, Business and Professional Services

Michel Dumoulin
Vice-President, Engineering

Roman Szumski
Vice-President, Life Sciences

Emily Harrison
Vice-President, Human Resources

Geneviève Tanguay
Vice-President, Emerging Technologies

David Lisk
Vice-President, Industrial Research Assistance Program

Roger Scott-Douglas
Secretary General (outgoing)

Serge Bijimine
Secretary General (incoming)

François Cordeau
Vice-President, Transportation and Manufacturing

Dale MacMillan
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer

Dan Wayner
Departmental Science Advisor and Chief Science Officer

Carolyn Watters
Chief Digital Research Officer

Council members (composition as of May 1, 2020)

Douglas W. Muzyka
Chair of the NRC Council, Former Senior Vice-President and Chief Science and Technology Officer, E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company,
Indian River, Nova Scotia

Iain Stewart
President, National Research Council Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario

Susan Blum
Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Saskatchewan Polytechnic,
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Ray Hoemsen
Former Executive Director, Research Partnerships & Innovation, Red River College,
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Neil Bose
Vice-President, Research, Memorial University,
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Mohamed Lachemi
President and Vice-Chancellor, Ryerson University,
Toronto, Ontario

Steven Murphy
President and Vice Chancellor, Ontario Tech University,
Oshawa, Ontario

Carolyn Cross
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ondine Biomedical Inc.,
Vancouver, British Columbia

Karen Bakker
Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, British Columbia

Norma Beauchamp
Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Cystic Fibrosis Canada,
Toronto, Ontario

Pierre Rivard
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, TUGLIQ Energy Corp.,
Toronto, Ontario

Aled Edwards
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Structural Genomics Consortium,
Toronto, Ontario