Timing is everything
The inaugural Biofuels International Canada expo & conference attracted over 300 attendees from as far as Mexico, Peru, UAE and Peru – all wanting to learn more about the sector in Canada.
This year’s Biofuels International Canada expo & conference was perfectly timed to bring together regulators, producers, suppliers, traders and other experts just before new targets are brought in which will have a dramatic effect on everyone involved.
Aside from new regulations the event covered a wide range of topics from the perfect biodiesel plant, to the potential of cellulosic ethanol, an introduction to canola and advice on securing project finance and investment.
The two day conference in Montreal opened on a high note with the president of Canada’s largest ethanol producer Ken Field giving an overview of the local ethanol sector.
He summarised the benefits of corn ethanol, which is often criticised, and squashed the negativity surrounding the renewable fuel by reminding delegates that everything is criticised, from eggs, which raise cholesterol, to sugar which causes diabetes and chicken which can pass on avian flu.
Being so close to the US it is hard not to compare the two markets, although very different, and this is exactly what Gene Gebolys, president and CEO of World Energy did, along with comparisons to other markets across the globe.
Whereas the biofuels sectors in Europe and US started many years ago, Canada’s is only just beginning so it is crucial that producers learn from mistakes made by other nations.
The lessons producers need to take on board, Gebolys said, include that investments will come from demand, and demand will come from long-term government commitments, so production needs to be incentivised. Importantly he also noted that capacity is limited by feedstocks, not ultimately by plants.
During the afternoon of day one Rick White, general manager of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, gave delegates an insight into the feedstock which is relatively unknown outside of Canada.
The advantages of the crop, he explained, include the fact that a field of 80 acres can yield 24,000 litres of biodiesel. It also has excellent cold flow properties, good oxidative stability and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85-110% per unit of fossil diesel replaced.
Canada’s growing target is to have 15 million tonnes planted and 2 million tonnes of seed crushed by 2015.
Another feedstock covered at the event was miscanthus, a rapid growing sterile grass that can grow 13 feet tall. Interestingly it requires little fertilizer and can last 10 or more years.
Perhaps more importantly when harvested in winter its moisture content is just 12%, giving it an extremely high energy value. This compares with 40-50% from green wood fuel.
On the second day of the event Gordon Quaiattini, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, took an in-depth look into the very topical issue of the Canadian government’s commitment to renewable fuels.
Crucially for the development of the market the government requires 5% average renewable content in Canadian petroleum and diesel by 2010, now only weeks away. Not only will this ensure demand for renewable fuel, it will also encourage industry efficiency and innovation.
Canada also has a mandate of 2% renewable content in diesel by 2011. To meet this the biodiesel sector will need to expand its capacity from 130 million litres (34 million gallons) of to between 500-600 million.
As well as these expected presentations Biofuels International Canada expo & conference also featured a couple of unique topics, which were very well received by delegates.
One of these was the need for insurance. Dan Johns, construction and renewable energy leader for Royal & Sun Alliance Canada; and Murray Kammer, senior VP at Jardine Lloyd Thompson, forced delegates to ask themselves difficult questions such as are your limits high enough? Who’s liable during transportation and storage? And what does your policy actually cover?
And another was the need for good quality personnel and the impact this can have on your business. Colette Rivet, executive director of BioTalent Canada, a non-profit organisation specifically dedicated to human resources and skills development for the Canadian bio-economy addressed issues such as how to ensure graduates are adequately prepared to work in Canada’s bioeconomy, what skills companies should look for in a candidate and effective recruitment techniques.
The event wrapped up with Bradley Saville, VP of technology for SunOpta BioProcess, giving an overview of the opportunities and challenges for cellulosic ethanol in Canada, based on its 36 years of experience in the sector. He advises that careful selection of feedstock, pre-treatment the process conditions are key, but get these right and second generation ethanol has the potential to be a profitable business in Canada.
This event was held at a crucial time for the biofuels sector in Canada, and the market is expected to change rapidly over the next 12 months. This sets the scene for another fruitful event this time next year – so watch this space for details coming soon.
This year’s Biofuels International Canada expo & conference was perfectly timed to bring together regulators, producers, suppliers, traders and other experts just before new targets are brought in which will have a dramatic effect on everyone involved.
Aside from new regulations the event covered a wide range of topics from the perfect biodiesel plant, to the potential of cellulosic ethanol, an introduction to canola and advice on securing project finance and investment.
The two day conference in Montreal opened on a high note with the president of Canada’s largest ethanol producer Ken Field giving an overview of the local ethanol sector.
He summarised the benefits of corn ethanol, which is often criticised, and squashed the negativity surrounding the renewable fuel by reminding delegates that everything is criticised, from eggs, which raise cholesterol, to sugar which causes diabetes and chicken which can pass on avian flu.
Being so close to the US it is hard not to compare the two markets, although very different, and this is exactly what Gene Gebolys, president and CEO of World Energy did, along with comparisons to other markets across the globe.
Whereas the biofuels sectors in Europe and US started many years ago, Canada’s is only just beginning so it is crucial that producers learn from mistakes made by other nations.
The lessons producers need to take on board, Gebolys said, include that investments will come from demand, and demand will come from long-term government commitments, so production needs to be incentivised. Importantly he also noted that capacity is limited by feedstocks, not ultimately by plants.
During the afternoon of day one Rick White, general manager of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, gave delegates an insight into the feedstock which is relatively unknown outside of Canada.
The advantages of the crop, he explained, include the fact that a field of 80 acres can yield 24,000 litres of biodiesel. It also has excellent cold flow properties, good oxidative stability and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85-110% per unit of fossil diesel replaced.
Canada’s growing target is to have 15 million tonnes planted and 2 million tonnes of seed crushed by 2015.
Another feedstock covered at the event was miscanthus, a rapid growing sterile grass that can grow 13 feet tall. Interestingly it requires little fertilizer and can last 10 or more years.
Perhaps more importantly when harvested in winter its moisture content is just 12%, giving it an extremely high energy value. This compares with 40-50% from green wood fuel.
On the second day of the event Gordon Quaiattini, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, took an in-depth look into the very topical issue of the Canadian government’s commitment to renewable fuels.
Crucially for the development of the market the government requires 5% average renewable content in Canadian petroleum and diesel by 2010, now only weeks away. Not only will this ensure demand for renewable fuel, it will also encourage industry efficiency and innovation.
Canada also has a mandate of 2% renewable content in diesel by 2011. To meet this the biodiesel sector will need to expand its capacity from 130 million litres (34 million gallons) of to between 500-600 million.
As well as these expected presentations Biofuels International Canada expo & conference also featured a couple of unique topics, which were very well received by delegates.
One of these was the need for insurance. Dan Johns, construction and renewable energy leader for Royal & Sun Alliance Canada; and Murray Kammer, senior VP at Jardine Lloyd Thompson, forced delegates to ask themselves difficult questions such as are your limits high enough? Who’s liable during transportation and storage? And what does your policy actually cover?
And another was the need for good quality personnel and the impact this can have on your business. Colette Rivet, executive director of BioTalent Canada, a non-profit organisation specifically dedicated to human resources and skills development for the Canadian bio-economy addressed issues such as how to ensure graduates are adequately prepared to work in Canada’s bioeconomy, what skills companies should look for in a candidate and effective recruitment techniques.
The event wrapped up with Bradley Saville, VP of technology for SunOpta BioProcess, giving an overview of the opportunities and challenges for cellulosic ethanol in Canada, based on its 36 years of experience in the sector. He advises that careful selection of feedstock, pre-treatment the process conditions are key, but get these right and second generation ethanol has the potential to be a profitable business in Canada.
This event was held at a crucial time for the biofuels sector in Canada, and the market is expected to change rapidly over the next 12 months. This sets the scene for another fruitful event this time next year – so watch this space for details coming soon.
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