Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Bioenergy Country Notes

*   Data refer to 2004
** Data refer to 2003

Canada has significant advantage in bioenergy, based on the extent of arable land and forested areas.  Currently, biofuels, in the form of ethanol and biodiesel, are the most advanced source of bioenergy and the Federal Government has committed to ensuring that fuels sold in Canada have an average 5% renewable fuel content by 2010.

Installed ethanol capacity is 4 932 TJ/yr, of which corn-based ethanol accounts for approximately 74%,  wheat-based ethanol contributes 25% and ethanol extracted from wheat straw less than 1%. Installed biodiesel capacity is 406 TJ/yr, of which canola-based biodiesel accounts for about 36% of Canadian production and fish oil for 64%.

Government support for alternative fuels includes exemption from the excise tax on gasoline, which equates to CDN$ 0.04/litre for biodiesel and CDN$ 0.10/litre for ethanol. The Ethanol Expansion Program provided support (CDN$ 100 million) to ethanol plants. Various research and development programs and public information programs are also supported, including the Canadian Biomass Innovation Network (CBIN) which coordinates R&D activities at the federal level in bioenergy, biofuels, and industrial biotechnology.

The following equipment qualifies for tax incentives with accelerated depreciation treatment: equipment powered by wood waste, municipal waste, biogas from a sewage treatment facility; equipment that recovers biogas from landfill sites; equipment used to convert biomass into bio-oil and biogas production equipment.

In 2005 around 35 million litres of ethanol were exported and 125 million imported. Of the 925 000 tonnes of wood pellets produced in 2005, 825 000 tonnes were exported (approximately 60% to Europe and 30% to the USA).