Photo Credit: UNBC

By Sam Bennison

UNBC

UNBC professor has received over $800,000 in funding for oil spill response in Canada.

Nov 8, 2023 | 11:53 AM

PRINCE GEORGE—University of Northern British Columbia Engineering Professor Dr. Jianbing Li’s has received renewed funding for his groundbreaking research in marine oil spill response.

Dr. Li’s reasearch is focused on developing innovative methods of separating the oil from the water using equipment that can be placed on a vessel at sea. If successful, This will allow the decontamination process to take place on site, releasing the clean water back in the ocean, minimizing the environmental impact of oil spills and providing a more sustainable and cost effective approach to cleaning up marine ecosystems.

“Our lab has been developing and testing improved oil/water separation and wastewater disposal technologies under different spill conditions,” says Dr. Li. “This funding will greatly help us to advance our oil spill response solution through technological innovation and multi-partner collaboration.”

The renewed funding funding from the Government of Canda’s Multi-Partner Research Initiative (MPRI) through the Ocean Protection Plan will provide $830,000 in funding over four years.

Launched in 2018, the MPRI has been fostering collaboration among industry experts, scientists and government authorities to advance understanding of the impact of oil spill pollution and to develop cutting-edge technologies for cleanup. Dr. Li’s project received funding from the program in 2019 and was on of 10 projects to receive additional funding from the latest round of grants.

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“Support from the federal government will allow UNBC to continue to leverage its environmental engineering expertise to mobilize knowledge for local and global change.” says UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne.

UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne goes on to note tat the result of Dr. Li’s reasearch will protect Canada’s enviroment but also set an example for oil spill response worldwide.

The new funding will also support the mentorship of the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers and oil spill response professionals by providing training opportunities to scientific trainees, ranging from post-doctoral researchers and PhD candidates to graduate students and senior undergraduate researchers.