Guest Editorial by Dr
Peter Hall, ExCo Member for Canada
Bioenergy use in
Canada over the last century has reflected the country’s emergence as a modern
industrialized state. A hundred years ago, nearly half its energy consumption
was biomass in the form of wood. By 1960, nearly 80% of Canada’s energy came
from fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), 15% from hydro-electricity and the
remainder from biomass sources. In 2004, energy from biomass constitutes a
similar proportion, and projections for the next couple of decades are for a
share of 6-9%. Bioenergy production comes from a wide range of bio-based
sources: combined heat and power, gasification, pyrolysis, landfill gas,
ethanol from grain and cellulose.
The Canadian bioenergy
industry has been faced with a number of economic, social and infrastructural
barriers. Economic barriers to the increased use of bioenergy include
financing, high capital costs for installation, low buy-back rates, and access
to the grid. Social barriers include the environmental costs of emissions,
water pollution, and a general lack of awareness among users and the public.
Infrastructural barriers include problems with feedstock reliability and
conversion efficiency. These are all important barriers, but the greatest
obstacle remains the ready availability of fossil fuels. The continued use of
bioenergy in Canada has often required a 'hard sell' approach, as abundant and
comparatively cheap sources of fossil fuels have dominated both the energy
market and conventional thinking.
However, the energy
world is changing and Canada is changing with it. The energy market now values
a secure, reliable and safe supply, coupled with sustainable economic growth.
Research initiatives address technical barriers; tax schemes the economic ones.
The policy context is rapidly evolving as environmental awareness increases and
the Kyoto Protocol begins to influence policy makers. Policy development also
takes into account issues around climate change, acid rain and harmful emissions.
The federal
governments' main energy department is Natural Resources Canada. This is the
primary source of public funding for bioenergy at $15 million annually. Funding
of energy R&D is carried out in partnership with provinces, universities,
the private sector and international organizations. Initiatives are addressing
new and existing biomass sources, biomass conversion and utilization
technologies, integrated bio-applications, policy support and market studies.
Canada now has national targets of 1.4 billion litres of ethanol and 500
million litres of renewable diesel by 2010 and this will help drive the market.
Energy issues are
influenced by increases in petroleum/gas prices, rising demand for fuel, finite
supplies and social factors such as the need for rural development. The
explosion in the number and nature of products that can be produced from
bio-based sources, coupled with a vast land resource, position Canada for a
bio-based future.
By 2025, we want to
have a cleaner and more diversified form of bio-based energy, more bioprocesses
substituting chemical and physical processes, and more biomass used as
feedstock for chemicals and materials. In this way, Canada will address its
policy, environmental and economic goals.
For more information
contact Dr Peter Hall, Dept of Natural Resources, Canadian Forest Service at phall@nrcan.gc.ca