New Cutting Edge Facility in Southern Alberta to Create Jobs, Cut Emissions by Creating Biofuel from Waste

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July 28, 2021

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by Austin Lee (CTV News) The Alberta government is supporting Canary Biofuels, an Alberta-based biofuel producer, with a $4.7M grant through the province’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reductions (TIER) fund.

In total, the facility in Lethbridge County will cost $28.6M and will be capable of producing roughly 70 million litres of renewable fuel each year while cutting more than 220,000 tonnes of emissions.

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“It will take local agriculture waste, edible animal fats and used cooking oil and turn these into renewable fuel.”

The plant plans to purchase more than $375M worth of feedstock from Alberta farmers over the next five years.

For the province’s canola producers, having another revenue option is a big deal after years of unstable trade agreements and uncertain crop yields.

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The plant is expected to be operational in October of this year after upgrades.

“We’re adding a chemical train, a distillation column and some unique technology in the middle that helps allow us to have really high-efficiency in terms of taking all that feedstock and converting into biodiesel and glycerin,” said Canary Biofuels CEO George Wadsworth.

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The provincial Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) currently requires Alberta fuel suppliers to reach a minimum annual average of five per cent renewable alcohol mixed in with regular gasoline.

However, only two per cent of biodiesel needs to be in diesel fuel.

For canola producers who have felt a real financial sting over the past few years, bringing that total up to five per cent biodiesel would dramatically increase the demand for their oilseed crops and in turn create a massive boost to business.

“If we went to five per cent across Canada, the estimates are that it would be similar to a market size of Japan. So that is a huge market,” said Ammeter.

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Minister Nixon confirmed that raising that minimum biodiesel level remains on the table and he plans on continuing discussions with the province’s minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Devin Dreeshen.

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The goal of that funding is to create roughly 9,000 jobs while injecting nearly $2B into the Alberta economy. READ MORE; includes VIDEO

Diversifying the economy with cutting-edge tech: The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund is supporting a new facility in southern Alberta that will create jobs and cut emissions by transforming agricultural waste. (Albert Government)

Alberta awards TEIR funds to Canary Biofuels’ plant (Biodiesel Magazine)

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