The whole environmental engineering world is watching. And waiting... for a revolutionary technology that converts paint fumes to energy now being developed at Ford's Oakville Assembly Complex. "This is the greenest technology out there when it comes to air pollution control and power generation," says Kit Edgeworth, who is responsible for the Fumes to Fuel cell system project. "This is in a world of its own -- it's Star Trek stuff."

Edgeworth came to Oakville from Ford's Michigan headquarters last year to supervise the experimental process which was stimulated by $100 million in funding for the Oakville complex through the Ontario government's Automotive Investment Strategy. "That's real forward-looking thinking," he says. "If it weren't for the government money, Ford would have probably waited five years to embark on this project. And then it might have been located elsewhere."

Fumes to Fuel is exactly the type of project the Ontario government wants to see a lot more of, and it's putting up $1.15 billion through the Next Generation of Jobs Fund (NGoJF) to help make projects happen quickly.

Ontario's NGoJF is designed to accelerate the development of green technologies, biomaterials and other advanced products that global markets are hungry for and that will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The fund will cover up to 15% of eligible costs for innovative projects that create at least 100 good jobs or involve investments of $25 million or more over five years.

Speed is of the essence. Companies have been guaranteed a response within 45 days of submitting a completed application package.

The Next Generation of Jobs Fund is modelled after the highly successful $500 million Ontario Automotive Investment Strategy, which leveraged more than $7 billion in total new automotive investments over four years, including Ford's innovative Fumes to Fuel project.

Ford's Fumes to Fuel project is the first initiative of the new fuel cell-focused research and development centre which is part of Ford's $1 billion upgrade and expansion of the Oakville flexible assembly plant.

Here's how the concept works. The painting process in any auto plant emits what are known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), or waste fumes. These VOCs are also produced in a wide range of manufacturing operations from furniture to adhesive labels. Indeed, any process that involves painting or solvents is likely to produce VOCs that pollute the air.

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