Advancing Bioenergy In The North

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) While there are some hurdles to overcome, Arctic and Subarctic governments such as the Northwest Territories are working to replace fossil fuels with bioenergy—including modern wood heat and renewable diesel.

As for energy consumption, the Northwest Territories uses mainly hydro and diesel to generate electricity. According to the Canada Energy Regulator, in normal precipitation years, approximately 75% of NWT’s electricity comes from two small hydropower plants, but in drier years when there is a shortfall—such as in years between 2016 to 2018— the territory is increasingly reliant on diesel, which is the sole or primary electricity source for remote communities or industries not connected to one of the NWT’s two hydro-based grids.

As for heat, heating oil is the most prominent fuel used, along with propane, wood (in many cases, aging and poorly functioning systems) and, as of more recently, wood pellets.

In a bid to solve some of the Northwest Territories energy challenges—which includes reducing emissions and moving to clean energy—the government has laid out a 2030 Energy Strategy, of which biomass-based fuel and technology is an important pillar.

Energy Plan 2030
Drafted in 2017, the strategy has several main objectives, which include, but aren’t limited to, by 2030: reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from electricity generation in diesel-powered communities by 25%; reducing GHG emissions from road vehicles by 10% per capita; and increasing renewables used for space heating by up to 40%.

While 2030 is the goal year set in the strategy, a 2020 study done by Alternatives North said progress can be made much sooner—in fact, an emissions reduction of 50% by 2025 through a combination actions that include wood pellet heating, renewable diesel and carbon offsets.

There are indeed some challenges—for one, current availability with renewable diesel—which is only readily available in California and British Columbia—and the fact that it is more expensive than fossil diesel. While there are numerous proposed and developing renewable diesel operations in the B.C., in the meantime, Alternatives North suggests the GNWT should immediately begin a transition from fossil diesel, beginning with its own internal operations to demonstrate how renewable diesel can be used in boilers, vehicles and generators, and work with fuel suppliers to purchase approximately 200 million liters (52.8 million gallons) of renewable diesel per year within five years, providing a subsidy to reduce the price to that of fossil diesel (about $65 million per year).

Nicolas Mansuy, coauthor and lead of the project, discussed results with Biomass Magazine. “Remote and northern communities surrounded by forested areas are well positioned to use wood-based bioenergy to meet their energy needs, and thereby reduce their GHG emissions,” says Mansuy, who works in the Edmonton, Alberta-based Canadian Forest Service’s Northern Forestry Centre. “In Canada, approximately 200 remote, off-grid communities rely on diesel to meet their main power needs, and most of them are Indigenous communities,” he says. “Using diesel in remote off-grid communities creates many environmental, health and economic issues. It’s often transported thousands of kilometers across winter roads and crossings that are only open when the ice is thick enough for transport, and as a result of these long transport distances, the price of energy in remote communities can be up to 10 times more than what the average Canadian pays.”

In addition, Mansuy says there is potential for storage tank leaks, which can result in soil or ground water contamination and are associated with health concerns over impacts to air quality, food and water supply. “Wood-based bioenergy can not only avoid these environmental impacts, but also reduce GHG emissions associated with the burning and transportation of diesel. READ MORE