The Bioenergy Sector: A Clean Future For Canada?

Since the Industrial Revolution, an unprecedented increase in annual CO2 production (alongside other atmospheric gases) has resulted in a climate that is dangerously hotter on average. 

In light of this, countries are becoming more receptive to adopting innovative solutions that enable them to meet constantly growing energy demands, while moving away from production methods that contribute to climate change.

Of these, bioenergy projects are some of the most intriguing, ambitious, and future focused. From 2021-2024, these projects received more Canadian federal funding than solar power did. So, what is bioenergy? 

Canada Energy Regulator defines bioenergy as "energy derived from biomass [of plants and animals]". Biomass is a renewable resource, meaning that in theory, it can be regenerated more quickly than it is used. The vast majority of energy we rely on today (for example, fossil fuels) comes from non-renewable sources, which are fated to fully deplete long before they can naturally be replenished.

Biomass is diverse. It can come from a wealth of sources, including manure, corn, jojoba, and even algae. After refinement, biomass can be converted into a variety of useful products that generate energy through heat, electricity, or combustible fuel. 

Using bioenergy still produces CO2 emissions. However, the way it produces these emissions is fundamentally different from burning fossil fuels. Since fossil fuels are extracted, often from deep within the Earth, they do not belong to a cycle in which they will naturally be removed from the atmosphere. Instead, they accumulate, which, clearly, is problematic. Biomass carbon, on the other hand, does belong to a natural system within the environment. This is known as the biogenic carbon cycle. Carbon produced in this system is able to be uptaken by plants, rather than getting trapped. 

Transitioning to bioenergy sounds promising, but is tedious. To be effectively integrated into society as a primary energy source, biomass needs to be produced at both a rate and cost that are comparable to our current energy systems. Algae, for example, are extremely efficient at generating biomass, yielding around twice as much as their terrestrial plant counterparts, but are expensive to culture on a large scale. Anaerobic digesters, which are required for the conversion of manure into biomass, are gaining popularity among dairy farmers, but can cost up to $5 million USD each. Certain jurisdictions have begun offering "biofuel credits", or a similar rebate for these investments, that, over time, allow farmers to generate income from shifting to a green alternative.

As of last year, around 5% of energy for transportation in Canada was generated by biofuels. 80% of these biofuels used in Canada are derived from solid biomass. However, there is a shift towards the production of promising liquid biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol, which is generally made from wheat, barely, and corn, has been used as a replacement for gasoline. Biodiesel can be made from many materials, including animal fat, inedible waste grease, and vegetable oils. 

One of Canada's most high-profile bioenergy projects is Arbios' Chuntoh Ghuna. Based in Prince George, BC, Chuntoh Ghuna began operating in 2024, with the initial production output of 50k barrels of bio-oil annually. How, you may ask? Arbios employs a unique patented technology, known as the Cat-HTR, or Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor. The Cat-HTR is an enterprising form of hydrothermal liquefaction, which involves the use of hot, pressurized water to generate bio-oil from unprocessed biomass (known as feedstocks). This project takes advantage of its location, being in the heart of interior BC's pulp and paper industry, and relies on (what could be otherwise unusable) woody biomass as its feedstocks. 

Another example of an innovative bioenergy project in Canada is Quebec's Varennes Carbon Recycling (VCR), which uses Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer technology to generate biofuel and circular chemicals from wastes that cannot otherwise be recycled. 

Out east, the ambitious Halifax, NS based Bioenergy Carbon Capture Marine Storage project seeks to capture CO2 generated from bioenergy plants and convert it to dissolved bicarbonate, which can be stored in the ocean. Storing bicarbonate in the ocean is not expected to have adverse effects, and investing in research related to this will inform nascent regulatory framework.

Ontario's own CanmetENERGY, a bioenergy program based in Ottawa, is involved in a variety of projects that are crucial to informing the country's bioenergy future. These include developing protocols for biorefinery and industrial applications, improving efficiency and up-scaling processes, as well as informing the overall breadth of knowledge on how bio-based carbon is sequestered (naturally stored in the environment).

I hope that, as weeks, months, and years pass, and we continue to explore and discuss inventive methods that support sustainable societal growth, these ideas, some of which sound like something out of a science fiction novel, can start to become as commonplace as diesel pumps at a gas station.