Highlights and achievements: 2022–2023 annual report

We advanced research and deepened our knowledge across many key areas in 2022–2023, making possible ground-breaking new science and innovation. Discover the NRC's major highlights and achievements of the past year.

Supporting climate action and sustainability

Climate change is a critical issue for Canada and the world. In 2022–2023, we continued to support innovative research into clean energy sources, efficient construction practices, the health of marine ecosystems and more—with many of these projects working to help Canada achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Safer hydrogen research

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Khalid Fatih, Senior Research Officer, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre

Short video of Khalid Fatih posing in front of hydrogen production and compression testing stations.

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Khalid Fatih, Senior Research Officer, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre

Short video of Khalid Fatih posing in front of hydrogen production and compression testing stations.

Clean hydrogen is poised to play a major role in decarbonizing the world's energy systems. But because of its unique properties, a safe testing environment is essential. Khalid Fatih is a senior research officer who leads a team at the NRC's Hydrogen-Safe Laboratories in Vancouver, British Columbia, looking at hydrogen production and compression technologies.

"Our facility offers unique capabilities in Canada, with highly specialized equipment for hydrogen production and fuel cell and stack testing, including electrochemical performance evaluation, failure mode analysis and reactants contamination testing. We now have 8 NRC-designed and built test stations and test cells for proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis and anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis that serve Canadian industry clients and international partners. And it's all conducted in an environment that's specially designed for strict compliance with all Canadian hydrogen safety codes and standards.

I'm looking forward to the upgrades, which will not only further enhance safety with state-of-the-art equipment, but will also expand our testing capacity. Right now, for hydrogen production via electrolysis, we can test small cells and stacks up to 500 watts. With the upgrades, we'll be able to work with systems rated up to 5 kilowatts, which will help de-risk solutions farther along the technology readiness level scale. A lab-scale hydrogen embrittlement facility—which we'll ultimately expand to industrial scale—will also enable us to support hydrogen distribution, storage and export."

"We'll be able to work with systems rated up to 5 kilowatts, which will help de-risk solutions farther along the technology readiness scale."

Deeper insights on sea ice

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Jungyong Wang, Senior Research Officer, Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre

Short video of Jungyong Wang posing in front of an ice tank carriage.

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Jungyong Wang, Senior Research Officer, Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre

Short video of Jungyong Wang posing in front of an ice tank carriage.

The large ice tank in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, is one of the biggest facilities of its kind in the world, offering testing services for icebreakers and other vessels and offshore structures that may have to deal with various types of sea ice. As climate change alters the nature of that ice, the large ice tank helps make those vessels and structures more resilient and able to adapt to evolving conditions. Senior research officer Jungyong Wang of the Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre designs and oversees the tests happening at the ice tank, providing critical insights into vessel performance and requirements for the Canadian Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy and others.

"For vessels operating in Canadian waters, running into ice is inevitable. The consequences can range from inconvenience to extremely costly damage. That's where my work at the St. John's large ice tank comes in. We use ice-formation techniques inspired by the natural processes that create ice in ocean waters to generate all types of full-scale ice conditions so we can get a better understanding of how different types of ice affect different vessels.

We look at issues like ship resistance and self-propulsion, the effects of ice on maneuverability, and the impacts of ice forces on moored and fixed structures. With that knowledge, we can advise on engine power, operational envelope and more, so we can make sure vessels will be ready for whatever they encounter when they're put into service.

In the last 5 years, we conducted extensive model testing for heavy and medium icebreakers to be used by the Canadian or U.S. Coast Guards. One heavy polar icebreaker typically costs $1 billion or more, so it's important to get it right to make sure they can do their jobs protecting our waters. Based on the results of our tests, we recommended several design changes to enhance performance and improve the ships' fuel efficiency—a key consideration as we strive to reduce emissions across the country.

I'm really excited about the renewal funding, because it will enable us to fully separate our underwater carriage system from our main carriage, which will substantially expand our underwater testing capabilities. With that new system, we'll be able to do underwater mooring tests (which we can't do right now) and our micro air bubble system for controlling ice density will be much more reliable and accessible. Currently, routine maintenance and repairs can take several days, but with the new system, we can do it in a couple of a hours. The new underwater carriage will also give us more viewing angles and allow us to better monitor and measure the ice without breaking it first."

Securing critical minerals to reduce emissions

Expanding electrification is one of the key ways Canada is working toward achieving its net-zero emissions goals—but that depends on securing a robust supply chain of the critical minerals needed to develop battery and energy storage technologies.

In Budget 2022, the federal government committed $40 million over 4 years to the NRC to work with Natural Resources Canada on research, development and deployment of technologies to support critical mineral value chains.

This work will also help Canada achieve the goals set out in its Critical Minerals Strategy.

Advances in climate-resilient trains

The Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre has been working to make train travel in Canada safer and more environmentally friendly.

In 2022, the first phase of the Clean and Energy-Efficient Transportation program was completed. Working with partners at Transport Canada, the University of British Columbia and Southern Railway of British Columbia, NRC researchers investigated the potential risks and hazards of hydrogen and battery-powered trains.

The next phase involves developing a regulatory framework for the operation of such trains. And as part of the Resilient Ground Transportation program, researchers are testing the performance of train air brakes in cold weather conditions.

This work will help make air brakes more robust and reduce the risk of failure in cold weather.

Creating a more climate-resilient built environment

The NRC is leading the new Climate Resilient Built Environment Initiative, funded by Infrastructure Canada, which was announced in June 2022.

Under this initiative, teams from our Construction Research Centre, as well as our Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre will be continuing efforts to increase the climate-resilience of buildings and infrastructure.

Work underway includes considering snow, wind and other future climate loads in structural design; developing guidelines for flood-resistant buildings; and investigating nature-based solutions for addressing flooding and urban heat islands.

We are also conducting research to support updates to existing standards and the development of new ones, including working with the Standards Council of Canada on a new standard based on our National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires.

Demystifying blue-green algae

The NRC's Biotoxin Metrology team in Halifax is using cutting-edge technology to research the cyanobacteria that produce blue-green algae. This algae is toxic, posing risks to humans and animals, and its spread can damage aquatic ecosystems in lakes and rivers across Canada.

In addition to improving understanding of how cyanobacteria spreads and how to control it, this work will also help raise public awareness of how individuals can recognize and avoid associated risks.

Protection for a vital observatory

Throughout 2022, we worked with forest management specialists, including the Penticton Indian Band and the Sylix Okanagan People, to implement a wildfire protection plan to reduce the risk of fires at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory and surrounding area.

This project involved members from the Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, as well as our Health, Safety and Environment team; and Real Property Planning and Management team.

This protection plan is similar to the Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures taken at places such as the Ketch Harbour Marine Research Station in Nova Scotia, which aim to preserve biodiversity in areas not officially protected.

Plastic removal strategies to decontaminate waterways

Using numerical models and machine learning technology, scientists in the Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre, supported by colleagues in several other NRC research centres, are developing strategies to predict the sources of microplastics and the pathways they take to reach waterways and oceans.

Experts from the Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre are also developing a high-throughput toxicological testing platform to test microplastics and potentially associated chemicals that affect aquatic food resources.

This information will inform approaches to prevent new plastic contamination and help isolate and remove existing microplastics from water before they degrade past the point of retrievability.