UNBC engineering professor Jianbing Li has begun a project to develop next-generation marine oil spill technology, which focuses on oil and water separation and could be placed on sea vessels, allowing for on-site decontamination.
The technology could also be used with freshwater, explained a press release. Li will receive $830,000 in funding over the next three years to put towards the project, through the Government of Canada’s Multi-Partner Research Initiative through the Ocean Protection Plan.
“Our lab has been developing and testing improved oil/water separation and wastewater disposal technologies under different spill conditions,” Li said in a statement. “This funding will greatly help us to advance our oil spill response solution through technological innovation and multi-partner collaboration.”
The initiative was launched 2018, and has fostered collaboration among industry experts, scientists, and government authorities to advance the understanding of the impacts of oil pollution and to develop technologies for cleanup
The new funding also support the mentorship of the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers and oil spill response professionals by providing training opportunities for post-doctoral researchers, PhD candidates, graduate students, and senior undergraduate researchers.
