PROVINCE BACKS BIOFUELS TO REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS

VICTORIA – The Province will invest $10 million to support the production of liquid biofuels with demonstrated low greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia, Technology, Trade and Economic Development Minister Ida Chong announced today. “This is an investment in technology and the ingenuity of British Columbians,” said Chong. “By converting biomass into liquid fuels with uses ranging from transportation to home heating, we can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020.” “B.C. is taking a leadership role in developing renewable and alternative energy innovations,” said Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Richard Neufeld. “We are nurturing clean energy technologies that help protect the environment and create economic opportunities for British Columbians.” Eligible projects will include those applying both conventional and second generation technologies. New production capacity using conventional biodiesel technology will be eligible in this call for proposals. All projects must demonstrate that the fuel will result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions relative to conventional petroleum-based fuels, based on a full life-cycle assessment.

This funding supports the provincial government’s priorities, including:

• Meeting new requirements under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements) Act for a five per cent minimum annual average renewable content in gasoline and diesel, beginning in 2010.
• Helping to meet B.C.’s commitment to further reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from all transportation fuels by at least 10 per cent by 2020 through a low-carbon fuel standard.
• Development and commercialization of biofuel production technologies that provide significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions relative to petroleum-based fuels.

This investment will be administered through the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund process, which will evaluate project proposals. Applications can come from anywhere in British Columbia. For more information, please visit the website at: www.tted.gov.bc.ca/ICEFund/Pages/default.aspx

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New plant expected to significantly increase output N.Z.

Initially, the company expects to be able to daily convert 200–250 tons of wastewater biosolids into biofuel, and will have the capacity to convert up to 500 tons per day, thereby increasing its current corporate capacity by more than 33%. The company recently announced that its Daytona Beach operation has ramped-up to approximately 350 tons of biosolids a day, with the capacity to reach nearly 750 tons. It also recently extended its memorandum of understanding with Michigan State University to enter into a long-term arrangement for the design, construction, and operation of an N-Viro Fuel facility at the University.