Biofuels Program Extended

Post date: Dec 18, 2019 1:35:07 AM

Alberta-based biofuels companies on the cusp of startup will benefit from an extension to Alberta’s renewable fuels standards.

Biofuels are produced from a variety of agricultural, forestry or waste feedstocks and blended into commercial petroleum-based gasoline and diesel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To provide investors with continued certainty, government has extended the Renewable Fuels Standard Regulation (RFS) to 2022.

In addition to emissions reductions, the RFS plays a vital role in providing much-needed policy certainty for investment in biofuels facilities and infrastructure, creating jobs, promoting innovation and contributing to Alberta’s economy.

Alberta has the largest biodiesel plant in Canada and has supported the development of world-class innovation through the Enerkem Alberta Biofuels plant in Edmonton for the conversion of municipal waste into marketable biofuel.

In addition to Enerkem, Alberta is home to other biofuels facilities that are positioned to enter the market as contributors.

The renewal of the RFS is in direct response to the needs of industry and will strongly support existing and future investments in biofuels.

Part of the regulation extension includes aligning Alberta’s blend rates to ensure a minimum standard of five per cent and two per cent renewable content for gasoline and diesel, respectively.

Quick facts

• Alberta is one of several Canadian provinces, together with British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, with a policy for biofuels in transportation fuels.

• There are several biofuels facilities in Alberta, including ADM Agri-Industries Company, Permolex, Cielo Waste Solutions, Enerkem Alberta Biofuels, Future Fuel and Invigor Bioenergy.

• It is estimated that the RFS has resulted in reductions of at least 5.1 megatonnes of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions on Alberta’s roads since 2011.