U-TOP Consortium Successfully Concludes the 2025 Alberta-Korea International Seminar
On February 11, the 2025 Alberta-Korea International Seminar, organized by the Unconventional Oil Technology Optimization Project (U-TOP) and supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) and the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA), was successfully held.
The event took place at the Ruby Hall of the Plaza Hotel in Seoul, bringing together key figures from the Alberta Provincial Government Korea Office, Alberta Innovates, Energy Safety Canada, and researchers from the U-TOP consortium.
The seminar opened with a congratulatory speech from John MacDonald, Executive Director of the Alberta Government’s Indo-Pacific Office, who highlighted the long-standing R&D collaboration between Alberta and Korea. He emphasized that this seminar marks an important milestone toward sustainable energy security. Following his remarks, Yoo Young-Hwa, Director at KAIA, expressed optimism that the U-TOP project will further strengthen eco-friendly energy technology cooperation between the two nations.
During the presentation session, Brian Helfenbaum, Associate Vice President of Alberta Innovates; Dinara Millington, Founder and CEO of 17 Insights; and Mark Salkeld, Vice President of the Canadian Energy Safety Association, each delivered presentations on the following topics: ¡øOil Sands Innovation Technologies and the Path to Net Zero ¡øOil Sands Policy Trends and Low-Carbon Energy Development ¡øSafety, Indigenous Collaboration, and Sustainability in Oil Sands.
During the Q&A session, various questions were raised regarding local regulations in Canada, policy directions, and demonstration project implementation. The speakers provided in-depth responses based on their expertise, and attendees found the session highly informative, gaining valuable insights.
Jang Am, Director of the U-TOP Project Group, stated, “The discussions held today will serve as a crucial foundation for the successful execution of the U-TOP project. We hope that through continued cooperation between Korea and Canada, both countries can grow together as global leaders in eco-friendly energy technology.”
Meanwhile, the U-TOP Project Group is engaged in developing core facilities for unconventional oil production from oil sands and implementing them in Canada through on-site demonstration projects. Supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and KAIA, the project was launched in April 2022 and is scheduled to run for a total of six years and eight months, concluding at the end of 2028.
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