ENN Group, a private Chinese energy company specializing in natural gas, signed an agreement with Carleton University to establish the Clean Energy Research Institute at the Ottawa campus, aiming at exploring liquefied natural gas and clean-energy technology.

The institute will be located within the Faculty of Engineering and Design and will conduct clean energy-related research and development programs, evaluate natural gas liquefaction and storage technology.

In addition, it will conduct research into the use of LNG in large trucks, establish industrial and technical standards, and carry out LNG training.

"Canada is poised to become an LNG export leader given the many recent discoveries of shale natural gas," said ENN Chief Technology Officer Gan Zhongxue. "Technologies such as those that Carleton University are working on will enable the industry to be more competitive and safely transport and store this valuable new resource."

LNG is a clear, colorless, non-toxic liquid that can be transported and stored more easily than natural gas because it occupies up to 600 times less space. It is a lower carbon transportation fuel.

On a well-to-wheels or total lifecycle basis, the use of natural gas reduces carbon emissions by 20 to 25 percent compared with conventional transportation fuels.