(TheNewswire)
VANCOUVER, BC / TheNewswire / December 3, 2018 - BQE
Water Inc. (TSX-V: BQE), a leader in the management of mine wastewater and metallurgical bleed streams has been
awarded an interest-free repayable contribution of $412,000 from the Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative to support
the commercialization of the Company’s selenium removal technology Selen-IX™ in key markets.
The funding will give BQE Water access up to the amount awarded for activities to commercialize Selen-IX™ including
technical advancements to broaden market applicability, marketing and business development to facilitate penetration of these
markets, and expansion of the Company’s in-house resources and capabilities to deliver Selen-IX™ to diverse market sectors.
"The Government of Canada is working hard to help Western Canadian entrepreneurs turn their ideas into thriving
businesses and create good middle class jobs,” said The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic
Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada. “I congratulate BQE Water for commercializing a
green technology solution that keeps our natural resource sector a sustainable source of opportunity and prosperity for
Canadians.”
“We are very pleased that BQE Water and our Selen-IX™ technology was selected for the WINN initiative which is very
competitive and involves rigorous screening across technical and commercial criteria,” stated David Kratochvil, President and CEO
of BQE Water. “The funds will provide BQE Water with the flexibility all innovators need to successfully roll-out their
technologies and accelerate growth through faster and wider industry adoption.”
WINN is a Government of Canada initiative that offers repayable funding for Western Canadian companies to bring
innovative products, processes and services to market.
About Selen-IX™
Selen-IX™ is a water treatment process technology that combines ion exchange and electro-reduction to remove selenium
from large volumes of wastewater. A purely physico-chemical process, Selen-IX™ is insensitive to water temperatures and is highly
adaptable to variabilities in water flows and selenium levels.
About Selenium
Selenium is a naturally occurring element essential to all life forms in trace amounts. Selenium is released into
water by industrial activities in the mining, metal smelting and refining, oil & gas and fossil fuel power generation sectors. When
selenium is present in water at higher concentrations, it is harmful to most fish and other aquatic life. As a result, selenium
management has been identified as an important environmental issue by regulators and industries in North America.
About BQE Water
BQE Water is a leading provider of sustainable mine water solutions that support and improve the performance of
mining and smelting operations. Founded on the belief that water liabilities could be opportunities, BQE Water is working to change
the way the industry views and assesses options to solve mine water challenges. BQE Water is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada and
trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BQE. Visit www.bqewater.com for more information.
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The Toronto Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or
the accuracy of this release.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
Certain information contained herein may not be based on historical fact and therefore constitutes
"forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. This includes without limitation statements
containing the words "plan", "expect", "project", "estimate", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "may", "will" and other similar
words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements
are made, and are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events or results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such
differences include, but are not limited to, the Company’s dependence on key personnel and contracts, uncertainty with respect to
the profitability of the Company’s technologies, competition, technology risk, the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual
property and proprietary information, fluctuations in commodity prices, currency risk, environmental regulation and the Company’s
ability to manage growth and other factors described in the Company’s filings with the Canadian securities regulators at
www.sedar.com (including without limitation the
factors described in the section entitled "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31,
2017). Given these risks and uncertainties, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All
forward-looking information contained herein is based on management’s current expectations and the Company undertakes no obligation
to revise or update such forward-looking information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by
law.
For further information please contact:
BQE Water Inc.
Suite 250 – 900 Howe Street
Vancouver BC Canada V6Z 2M4
David Kratochvil, President & CEO
dkratochvil@bqewater.com
Heman Wong, CFO
hwong@bqewater.com
604-685-1243 or 1-800-537-3073
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