Alberta Supports Borobotics' Drilling Robots

(CONNECT) The Alberta government is investing a total of 37 million Canadian dollars in ten projects aimed at advancing drilling technologies while reducing emissions. These projects have a total value of just under 179 million Canadian dollars, according to a press release. One of the ten projects is being carried out by Borobotics.

The company, based at Technopark Winterthur, is developing a drilling robot for geothermal drilling. The Alberta-funded project is therefore also aimed at developing “a compact and autonomous electric drilling robot for geothermal wells used in geothermal heat pumps.” The project is estimated to cost a total of 8.9 million Canadian dollars. The grant for Borobotics amounts to 4.4 million Canadian dollars (2.5 million Swiss francs). The project is being implemented in both Winterthur and Calgary, Alberta. In addition to Borobotics, companies from Norway, the Netherlands, the United States, and Alberta are also receiving funding. If successful, Emissions Reductions Alberta (ERA) expects all ten projects to result in annual savings of 24,100 metric tons of CO2 equivalents.

“Innovators from Alberta are driving world-leading drilling technologies that create jobs, strengthen competitiveness, reduce emissions, and open up new opportunities in geothermal energy, critical minerals, and CO2 capture,” said Grant Hunter, Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.

Borobotics is a spin-off of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). According to a press release regarding funding from Venture Kick, the company's drilling robot, together with its auxiliary equipment, is expected to require up to 90 percent less space than previous solutions. The goal is to reduce the costs, noise pollution, and CO2 emissions associated with the drilling operation. ce/jh