Bioenergy Frequently Asked Questions

A number of factors contribute to the price of food. Alberta currently only consumes about 1.2 % of available grains and oilseeds in the manufacturing of renewable fuel in the province. As a result, grain for fuel use in Alberta is not expected to have any impact on the price of food.

In addition, the vast majority of bioenergy in Alberta is produced from either waste or forestry biomass. This trend is expected to continue with future growth and adoption of emerging technologies, such as gasification of municipal solid waste or ethanol production from woody biomass.

It is generally understood that the price of oil, and not corn prices or ethanol production, have the greatest impact on consumer food prices. Energy is part of every phase of food production from processing to packaging to transportation. 

 

The most significant advantage is that renewable fuels are a renewable feedstock, part of the carbon cycle. The production of plant material pulls carbon from the atmosphere and then this carbon is returned when the fuel is burned. 
 

The Government of Alberta believes renewable energy sources will play a growing role in Alberta’s energy future.

Expanding the development of bioenergy will diversify our energy basket with clean alternatives. Bioenergy clusters that facilitate waste to energy conversion will provide significant carbon reduction, a positive energy balance, community development and environmental sustainability. 

Other benefits of bioenergy include: job creation, research and development of new technologies, value-added opportunities and markets for primary industries and improved municipal, farm and forestry infrastructure.

Consumers are also asking for a diversified and sustainable approach to our energy supplies.  Bioenergy is one option. 

 

A number of programs have been developed by both the provincial and federal government.  Alberta Energy administers provincial programs. Federal programs are administered by Natural Resources Canada. 

Yes, specially designed engines are capable of running on pure ethanol. The highest commercial level supported is an 85% blend of ethanol and 15% blend of gasoline. Major North American automotive manufacturers are now building “flex-fuel” vehicles capable of burning this higher blend.  

On a volume basis, the energy content of a litre of ethanol produces about 75% of the energy that a litre of petroleum gasoline delivers. 

Alberta's Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) was announced on December 11, 2008.  The RFS will require 5% renewable alcohol in gasoline and 2% renewable diesel in diesel fuel. 

A large number of crops can be used to produce ethanol. In Alberta, Canadian Prairie Spring, a mid-grade wheat, is most often used for ethanol production. Emerging technologies being developed will expand the number of crops that could be used including forages and woody material. 

Yes, many engines today can run on either pure biodiesel or biodiesel blends. Biodiesel can be manufactured into a wide range of qualities and engine performance may be significantly impacted by low-quality diesel products.  

There are virtually no performances differences between American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) grade biodiesel and petroleum diesel fuel. 

Supplies of commercial biodiesel are currently limited, although specialty retailers have begun to emerge. For the latest information on sourcing product, see the suppliers listed on the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association website. 

Any organic material can be used in anaerobic digestion. Potential feedstock in Alberta includes food and meat processing waste, restaurant waste, municipal waste, forestry waste and spoiled or silaged crops. 

Yes, a number of companies are established in the province to sell green power to the grid from biogas plants. There are number of regulatory protocols to meet in order to permit this activity.