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Research Grants Support Bioenergy Development
CANADA – The Province of British Columbia has granted C$600,000 to help grow B.C.’s wood bioenergy sector with continued research into feedstock supplies, technology and infrastructure."The Ministry of Forests and Range is committed to a vibrant and sustainable bioenergy industry for British Columbia,” said Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell.
"We're exploring new ways to obtain more value from our forests. Research is a cornerstone for a bioenergy sector that will help fight climate change and strengthen B.C.'s economy."
The ministry has provided C$300,000 to the FPInnovations forest research institute, $200,000 to the University of British Columbia, and C$100,000 to the University of Victoria for a research partnership focused on feedstock availability, harvesting and delivery equipment and systems, and economic analysis. Specific topics include:
- Assessing inventory supplies by region and time frame
- Developing a model to estimate costs for delivering wood biomass resources in areas with different terrain and climate conditions
- Assessing forest transportation infrastructure
- Return on investment from recovering different sources of wood biomass
- Expanding wood pellet markets.
"Biomass-to-energy conversion is rapidly gaining interest because of rising fuel costs and concerns related to emissions and climate change," said Tony Sauder of FPInnovations.
"Our research is dedicated to the supply side of forest feedstocks. It will provide government and industry with harvesting and delivery data needed to help encourage biomass utilization in B.C."
"This funding will help our consortium of scientists continue their leading-edge research into new uses for wood biomass resources in the quickly emerging bio-industry," said UBC biomass and bioenergy research group principal Dr. Shahab Sokhansanj.
A feedstock is any substance used as a raw material in an industrial process such as power generation. Wood biomass includes residues and debris from forestry activities such as logging and road clearing, wood waste (bark, sawdust, chips, and scraps), and mountain pine beetle-attacked timber that is not sawlog- or pulp-quality.
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