Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy: A Canadian Perspective

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Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy A Canadian
Perspective
David Layzell, Ph.D., FRSC President and CEO,
BIOCAP Canada Foundation Professor Queens
Research Chair, Dept. Biology and Institute for
Energy Environmental Policy, Queens
University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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21st Century Challenges
A sustainable bioeconomy a source of solutions
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A Sustainable Bioeconomy

• An economic system where forests and farmlands
  provide not only food, feed and fibre, but
• Environmental values (cleaner water air,
  greenhouse gas reductions)
• Clean and renewable energy, chemicals and
  materials

BIOCAP was established in 1998 to help Canada
move in this direction
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BIOCAP Canada Foundation- a national
not-for-profit research organization -

• Unique multisector partnership
• Federal provincial governments
• 10 leading industries
• 32 universities
• 2 Env. NGOs and economic development
• Build national research networks
• Natural, applied social sciences
• Develop insights and technologies
• Knowledge transfer, focus RD, communicate
• Since 2002, leveraged 6.5M into 38.5M (cash)
  for research involving gt300 researchers and 220
  graduate students.

Mandate To provide the scientific insights,
technologies and policy options to support the
transition to a sustainable bioeconomy.
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Components of a Sustainable Bioeconomy
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Why a Bioeconomy Now?
1995
2005
CA(2005) / barrel oil equivalent
New Opportunity
Biomass Energy is now a Credible Alternative
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Biomass
a highly flexible, renewable resource

• Biomass
• Oil
• Sugars
• Ligno-
• cellulosic

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Other Benefits of a Bioeconomy

• Climate change (GHG mgmt)
• Air and water quality
• Desire to extend fossil energy resources
• Energy security
• Jobs and economic development in rural communities

The Major Driver Economics of Bioenergy
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What is the magnitude of the sustainable
bioenergy potential in Canada?How does it
compare with other nations?
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Canadas Green Advantage
National Opportunity and Global Responsibility
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A USA - Canada Comparison- Bioenergy Potential
vs. Targets -
Energy Content (EJ/yr)
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How Could a 2 EJ/yr Target be Met?
2 EJ/yr
130 Mt Biomass
16 GJ/t
How might this unfold over time?
From BIOCAP, 2006
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Vision for a Bioenergy Future
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Total Cdn Energy Demand
(assumes 1 growth/yr)
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Energy Demand (EJ/yr)
Proposed Bioenergy Contribution (6 growth/yr)
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20
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6
0
2030
2010
2020
Year
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What would it mean for Canada?

• 7.8B/yr (2005) invested directly in farms and
  forestry operations
• 30B/yr (2005) stimulus to the national
  economy
• 100,000 jobs across Canada
• Greenhouse gas emission reductions of 70 Mt
  CO2e/yr (corrected for LCAs)
• Cleaner air and water
• Solutions for municipal animal waste
• Improved energy security
• More fossil resources available to export.

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Bioeconomy Solutions Vary in Economic,
Environmental and Social Sustainability
Bioeconomy Alternatives
Bioeeconomy Potential
Positive ()
Neutral (/-)
Negative (-)
Economic, Environmental or Social Impact
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Example RD Focus Areas
Receptor Industries (in addition to bioenergy
comp.)
Bioeconomy Goal
Eg. RD Priorities
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The Transportation Issue
A More Significant Challenge in Canada
Tundra
Forest
Forest
Agriculture
Forest

• Canada
• 7 worlds land area (18X Spain)
• 10 of global forest land
• 60M ha agricultural land
• 0.5 people (Pop 32.5M)

Agriculture
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Addressing Transportation Distances

• Challenge
• Compared to the EU USA, Canadas vast distances
  between production and use could make bioenergy
  less competitive.

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Scale and Pipeline Comparison
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Moving Bioenergy in Pipelines
Minimal Processing

• Wood chips, straw
• Wood pellets

• Carry in water stream (2nd product)
• Can begin cellulose digestion in pipeline
• Pelleting technology can be water resistant

Processing to liquid or gas

• Pyrolysis oil
• Biogas
• Syngas
• Hydrogen (H2)
• Methane (CH4)
• Methanol, ethanol, butanol
• ??

• Mobile pyrolysis possible

• Possibly integrate with clean coal technology

• Poss. compatible with existing ff pipelines

Feedstock logistics and infrastructure will play
a key role in determining the winners in large
scale bioenergy/biorefinery.
Concepts Kumar et al, Ralevic et al.
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Conclusions

• A Sustainable Bioeconomy offers solutions to the
  21st Century Challenges.
• Canada has a Green Advantage
• Potential for 20 of energy needs by 2030
• Many Research, Development Commercialization
  opportunities
• To increase potential and improve sustainability
• Transportation issues especially critical in
  Canada
• Bioenergy corridors and pipelines may allow for
  an efficiency of scale not possible in other
  nations.

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For Further Information
David Layzell Ph.D., FRSC President and CEO,
BIOCAP Canada Foundation Professor Research
Chair, Dept. Biol. and Queens Institute for
Energy Environmental Policy
Web Site www.biocap.ca Tel (613)
542-0025 Fax [phone] Email
info_at_biocap.ca
Queens University, 156 Barrie Street, Kingston,
Ontario K7L 3N6 Canada