Northstar Clean Technologies has opened its first commercial asphalt shingles-recycling plant in the Calgary area.

The new Empower Calgary facility is located just outside the city in Rocky View County. The county is part of the Calgary industrial real estate market.

The facility is the first of its kind in North America, said Northstar. The plant uses Northstar’s patented Bitumen Extraction and Separation Technology (BEST), the facility can process up to 80,000 tonnes of discarded shingles annually on a two-shift basis, recovering liquid asphalt, aggregate, fibre and limestone for reuse in new paving, roofing and construction materials.

According to Northstar, the facility represents one of Canada’s most tangible examples of the circular economy in action, reducing lifecycle carbon-dioxide emissions by approximately 60%.

“This grand opening marks a defining moment not only for Northstar, but for Alberta and Canada’s clean technology future,” said Aidan Mills, the company’s president and CEO.  

“Together with The City of Calgary, we’re transforming what was once a landfill problem into a circular economy solution. This facility shows what’s possible when government, industry and innovators come together to make environmental progress that also drives economic growth.”

Under a new five-year contract, Northstar will receive and reprocess the City of Calgary’s asphalt shingles, starting in April 2026. The timeline coincides with the city’s relaunch of its shingles-recycling program.

“Northstar continues to demonstrate an economically viable solution for the reprocessing of waste asphalt shingles and its involvement with landfill-diversion objectives set by industry and municipalities alike,” said Mills. “We are very appreciative of the City of Calgary’s confidence in Northstar in selecting our company and our proprietary solution as the winning candidate under their request for proposal for waste-shingle land diversion.”

Northstar said a $7.2-million of support from was essential in scaling up the plant to commercial production from a pilot project.

The Delta, B.C.-based company also obtained an $8.75- million non-revolving senior secured project loan facility from the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Pictured: New Northstar shingles-recycling plant in the Calgary area.

Photo: Northstar Clean Technologies