Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the government of Canada’s Manitoba Province have signed a memorandum of understanding on collaboration in promoting expansion of renewable energy utilisation and the development of associated technologies. Under the agreement, MHI will apply its diversified technologies to support the Manitoba government’s initiative to explore opportunities for effective use of its abundant renewable energy, electric transportation infrastructure and biofuels.
The MOU was signed by Greg Selinger, premier of Manitoba, and Ichiro Fukue, senior executive vice president of MHI, in Winnipeg, the provincial capital.

Based on the agreement, the two parties will initially study the electrification of transportation and recharging infrastructure projects incorporating MHI’s electric-driven power train technologies, including lithium-ion secondary batteries, as well as broader use of heat-pumps that provide remarkable energy-saving features.

Manitoba, which is situated in Canada’s heartland, has a population of more than 1.23 million (2010) and a real GDP exceeding 42 billion Canadian dollars (2009), ranking it fifth among Canada’s 13 provinces in both respects. Manitoba generates more than 95% of its electricity by hydropower and sells surplus electricity to Ontario and the USA.

The provincial government is keen to be a leader in the transformation to a low-carbon society by making the most of its abundant renewable energy resources, and it is keenly interested in advanced technologies to further reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as a means to prevent global warming.