Kanada : March 25, 2008
Canada is on its way to becoming a cleaner energy superpower in total production realizing it has to be smarter in the way the country consumes energy as well as what type of energy it consumes. The government is taking action by requiring bio-fuel content in all gasoline, diesel and heating oil sales. The government is also setting a minimum five percent bio-fuel content in gasoline by 2010 and a two percent bio-fuel content in diesel and heating oil by 2012.
The targets should make significant difference to the environment. It is estimated that the proposed bio-fuel requirements will be the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road. In order to achieve its targets, Canada will need to produce almost three billion liters of renewable fuels per year. Bio-fuel production is already at 800 million liters annually with an estimated two billion liters of production in relatively short order. Naturally, this kind of expansion in bio-fuel production represents tremendous opportunity for the country’s 61,000 grain and oilseed producers.
Bio-fuels offer a cleaner burning renewable energy source. Bio-fuels also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The full life cycle of ethanol production (from field to fuel tank) produces 40 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a strictly gasoline life cycle. When canola crops are converted into bio-diesel, the benefit is even more dramatic with a 60 to 80 percent reduction in GHG emissions.
To further speed along the process, the government is funding an initiative designed to encourage agriculture producer investment in bio-fuels. The investments would go towards the building of production plants sourcing crops such as wheat, corn, mustard seed as well as others. The new plants ideally would be located in rural areas nearer to their agriculture source thus lowering transportation costs.
A strong bio-fuels sector will contribute to a stronger foundation for farmers leading to better use and protection of the environment for generations to come.