Policy Tours

​Learn first-hand the key issues and innovative industries in our region by participating in policy tours in the greater area.

Attendees must be registered for a tour in order to attend. Please register in advance or onsite at the registration desk, pending availability. Waitlists will be made available onsite for any tours that are full in advance. 

Disclaimer: Space is limited on policy tours and may be prioritized for PNWER board members and legislative attendees. PNWER reserves the right to adjust participation as needed.​

Heidelberg Materials Edmonton Cement Plant Tour
Wednesday, July 22 | 1:45 pm - 5:30 pm

​Join Heidelberg Materials for an exclusive tour of their Edmonton Cement Plant, where operational excellence, innovation, and sustainability come together.
 
Guests will be provided with a guided look at the cement manufacturing process. The tour will showcase how Heidelberg Materials produces essential building materials while continuously improving environmental performance and supporting the communities where it operates.
 
The Edmonton Cement Plant takes a practical, locally grounded approach to sustainability, integrating recycling, resource efficiency, and operational innovation into daily operations. This includes the reuse of impacted clay in clinker production, comprehensive water recycling processes, and the use of 
alternative fuels as part of a multidimensional strategy ​
toward net zero 2050 commitments. The facility also produces EcoCemPLUS® blended cement, one of Heidelberg Materials lowest global warming potential cement products, supporting lower carbon construction across the region.
​
​Guests will learn about Heidelberg Materials carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. The Edmonton plant is the site of the first planned industrial scale CCS project in the North American cement industry. When fully operational, the facility is expected to capture approximately 1,000,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year from cement production, marking a significant step forward in decarbonising essential building materials.
 
The tour offers a unique opportunity to see how Heidelberg Materials is combining local action with global leadership to build a more sustainable future.

Innovation in Action: A University of Alberta Research Tour
Wednesday, July 22 | 1:45 - 5:30 pm

This comprehensive University of Alberta tour highlights the province’s leadership in energy innovation, climate science, and applied engineering. Participants will explore cutting-edge research at the Centre for Hydrogen Innovation, Workforce Development and Outreach (CHIWDO), where cross-sector collaboration is advancing hydrogen technologies and building the future workforce. The tour also features the Microwave, Millimetre-wave and MetaDevices (M3) Laboratory, showcasing high-frequency technologies with applications in defence, telecommunications, and health.

​Attendees will gain insight into climate research at the Canadian Ice Core Lab, home to invaluable records of environmental change spanning thousands of years. The tour further examines large-scale carbon capture, storage, and monitoring technologies, alongside emerging solutions like the “biobattery,” which converts forest and agricultural waste into low-carbon fuels. Finally, the Construction Innovation Centre demonstrates how integrated research and industry partnerships are driving sustainable development and modernization across Canada’s built environment.
​
The tour will feature a small reception for participants, with remarks from the University of Alberta leadership. 

Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Policy Tour
Thursday, July 23 | 9 am - 3 pm

Join Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA) for a guided tour of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland: Canada’s largest hydrocarbon processing region and one of the most significant concentrations of energy, petrochemical, refining, fertiliser, and industrial infrastructure investment in Canada. Located just northeast of Edmonton, the Heartland is home to more than 40 companies and approximately $50 billion in capital investment, making it a major driver of regional trade, manufacturing, and energy value-chain development.

Designed for PNWER delegates, this tour offers a closer look at the industrial scale, strategic infrastructure, and investment platform that makes Alberta's Industrial Heartland a key part of Western Canada’s economy and an increasingly important link in North American supply chains.
Delegates will gain insight into how the region is supporting growth in conventional and emerging sectors, including petrochemicals, hydrogen, fertiliser, fuels, and other value-added industrial development. The tour will also highlight Alberta's Industrial Heartland’s world-class carbon capture and storage capabilities, which are helping position the region as a leader in industrial decarbonisation and lower-carbon growth. 

For delegates interested in seeing how policy, infrastructure, geography, and industrial clustering come together in practice, this will be one of the most distinctive off-site experiences of the summit. 

The tour may take delegates for a walk throughout industrial spaces – as such, please be prepared for gravel or uneven terrain. Closed-toed shoes are required.