Join Bryan Helfenbaum, Executive Director of Advanced Hydrocarbons at Alberta Innovates, as he invites you to showcase your technical skills and compete in the Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge. The goal of this $15 million international competition is to accelerate the production of carbon fibre from bitumen-derived asphaltenes. This challenge is part of a broader “Bitumen Beyond Combustion” initiative by Alberta Innovates to further the development of non-combustion products and their production technologies, derived from bitumen contained in Alberta’s oil sands, which are among the world’s largest hydrocarbon resources with proven reserves of approximately 170 billion barrels.

The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is directed towards funding technologies and projects that can convert Alberta bitumen or asphaltenes derived from Alberta bitumen into carbon fibres. Carbon fibre’s high strength and stiffness make composite materials that incorporate carbon fibres functionally superior to many conventional materials for use in the transportation, infrastructure, construction and consumer product sectors. The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is directed towards funding technologies and projects that can convert bitumen or asphaltenes into carbon fibres. If successful, this grand challenge could help in diversifying our economy and further reduce the environmental impact of our industry, what's not to like!