Natural gas currently supplies 20% of the energy consumed in Canada. The Canadian Gas Association (CGA 2014) has estimated that up to 50% of this energy could be displaced by renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from sustainable biomass resources. Biomass-derived “fuel” gas can be produced by anaerobic digestion or direct thermochemical conversion (gasification) and, after further refinement, this gas can meet natural gas standards and be injected into existing natural gas pipelines (e.g., Anon un-dated; Babicki 2015).

Although RNG currently comes from anaerobic digestion in Canada, the CGA estimates that this can only supply up to 16% of Canada’s future RNG potential, with the remaining 84% coming from thermochemical processing of agricultural and forestry biomass. This disparity results largely from feedstock availability and process economics. These same factors currently favour conversion of forestry residues over agricultural residues, principally because of higher energy density, a more stable and consistent sustainable supply, and fewer technical challenges for thermochemical conversion. Current technology development is therefore based on the assumption that forestry feedstocks are the “low hanging fruit”, with agricultural feedstocks to follow once the RNG sector is established and technologies can be easily adapted for different feedstock types.

Interest in RNG is high in Canada for a number of reasons: (i) green energy solutions that mitigate climate change; (ii) RNG is a versatile drop-in fuel; (iii) rural job creation and social stability; and (iv) there are over 400,000 km of transmission and distribution pipelines in Canada, many of which run through forested areas. Where mill residues are not readily available, and landowners or leaseholders are amenable, this final factor offers the possibility of establishing RNG conversion plants close to pipelines in close proximity to forest harvesting residues.

Many issues must be addressed to ensure a thriving future RNG sector in Canada, including economic and supply-chain analyses, appropriate policies and regulations, environmental standards, appropriate conversion technologies and social license. However, two essential underpinnings are (i) knowledge of the potential sustainable feedstock availability (e.g., BIMAT 2016; Sidders et al. 2008) that will determine the size (and hence impact) of the sector , and (ii) conversion technologies that will work with a range of feedstock properties.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan - Canadian Forest Service) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have a long history of work in biomass inventories and GHG analysis, and NRCan - CanmetENERGY has a long history in thermochemical technology development. Working with collaborators in research and the natural gas industry as represented by the Canadian Gas Association and its members, NRCan and AAFC have established a collaboration to help enable development of the Canadian RNG industry. Current research and development programs are described, along with key findings.

References

Anon. Un-dated. New clean energy technology debuts in Placer County. Sept. 14, 2015. Accessed Jan. 8, 2016 at http://www.placer.ca.gov/news/2015/sept/clean-energy-tech-debuts.
YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b1BFxs0XDo.
See also http://www.government-fleet.com/news/story/2015/09/califcounty-demonstra...

Babicki, M. 2015. G4 PyroCatalytic Hydrogenation. Presentation at SmaRTGas Baltic seminar on biomethane, Malmö, Sweden, Oct. 30, 2015 Accessed Jan. 8, 2016 at http://www.smartgas.se/Resources/07_Matt_Babicki.pdf

BIMAT. 2016. Biomass Inventory Mapping and Analysis Tool. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Natural Resources Canada. Available at http://www.agr.gc.ca/atlas/bimat

CGA. 2014. Renewable natural gas technology roadmap for Canada. Canadian Gas Association (CGA), Ottawa, Canada. 24 p.

Sidders, D., B. Joss and T. Keddy. 2008. Biomass Inventory and Mapping Assessment Tool (BIMAT). Woody Biomass Inventory & Woody Biomass Information Portal. Project TID8 25B, GIS-Based Inventory and Analysis of Forestry and Agriculture Biomass. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service - Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Ottawa, Canada. 26 p.