For Immediate Release
July 26, 2007
Mcguinty Government Invests In Renewable Energy
New Program Turns Greenhouse Gases From Farms Into
Clean Energy
STIRLING - The McGuinty government is launching a new program
that will help farmers and rural businesses develop and build systems
that turn farm waste into clean energy.
"Developing renewable energy resources in the agri-food and
rural sectors is an important part of the government's climate change
initiative," said Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs. "It is also an opportunity to support
rural economic development and partnerships."
The $9 million Ontario
Biogas Systems Financial Assistance Program, launched today
by the McGuinty government, will help farmers and rural businesses
carry out feasibility studies for the installation of biogas systems
as well as cover a proportion of construction and implementation
costs. Applicants can receive up to $400,000 in funding.
The province is also streamlining the process that farmers follow
to build bio-digesters and is providing clear standards and guidance
on designing and operating these facilities.
"This is good news for the environment, for farmers, and for
all Ontarians," said Laurel Broten, Minister of the Environment.
"Biodigesters encourage renewable energy production and reduce
greenhouse gases that cause climate change."
Biogas systems are fuelled by renewable materials like manure,
crops and crop residues and food processing by-products. They can
produce electricity and heat or replace conventional fuels like
natural gas. Agricultural and food producers can use the electricity
produced from their biogas system to meet their operation's energy
demands. In addition, they can sell excess electricity to the electrical
grid.
A biogas system that uses manure from 250 cows could result in
400 fewer tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 550 additional
megawatt-hours of power production every year.
"Operations like ours generate enough material to run a biogas
system," says Mark Donnan, owner of Donnandale Farms, who hosted
today's announcement. "These systems benefit not only farmers,
through added revenue and cost savings, but the public as well through
reductions in greenhouse gases and odours. This is a technology
that will help build a greener Ontario."
Today's announcement is just one more example of how, working together,
Ontarians have achieved results in rural Ontario. Other examples
include:
What is anaerobic digestion?
Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which micro-organisms
break down organic matter like manure, crops, crop residues and
food processing waste. This process occurs in the absence of oxygen
and results in the release of biogas.
What is biogas?
Biogas is a combination of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas can
be used like natural gas as a fuel in electrical generators, engines,
boilers and burners.
What's left in the tank once the process is complete?
Digestate is what's left once the organic material has been "digested".
Once carbon has been converted to methane or carbon dioxide, the
organic material becomes more liquid in nature. This liquid digestate
contains all of the agricultural nutrients (such as nitrogen and
phosphorus) that were present in the original organic material.
Do all the biogas systems operate in the same way?
While the basic operating principle remains the same, there are
different types of anaerobic digester technologies based on the
type of material handled, the operating temperature and the end
use of the biogas.
What materials can be used in a biogas system?
Biogas systems can use both solid and liquid organic materials,
including: manure, crops, crop residues and food processing waste
material.
How is electricity produced using biogas?
Typically an operator would use biogas to run an internal combustion
engine to power an electrical generator, which produces the electricity.
Where does a "co-gen" system fit in?
A co-generation or "co-gen" system is an internal combustion
engine fitted with an electrical generator as well as a system to
capture heat. Just as a radiator captures the excess heat from a
car engine, a co-gen system captures heat from the engine for further
use.
What are the environmental benefits of a biogas system?
Energy from biogas is a green or renewable energy, and its production
reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing reliance on fossil
fuels. In addition, biogas systems reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by consuming methane produced from stored manure. Methane is twenty-one
times more potent than carbon dioxide in causing global warming.
The management of the digestate from the biogas system may also
reduce emissions compared to the conventional management of manure
or other input materials.
Adopting a biogas system also reduces the risk of contaminating
ground or surface water as a result of the unintentional movement
of pathogens and nutrients from manure run-off. Several studies
show that harmful pathogens like E.coli bacteria are considerably
reduced using this technology.
Biogas systems also reduce the odour in manure or other input materials
by covering the manure storage tank, breaking down odour-causing
compounds, as well as destroying the bacteria that cause odours.
Do biogas systems use only manure?
No. Manure is definitely one of the best fits for biogas systems
because it is consistent, it is produced on a daily basis, and it
contains readily digested organic material. However in Ontario,
digesters can successfully use food processing waste materials as
an input. These materials are often challenging to dispose of in
conventional waste management systems, such as landfills. In addition,
when biogas systems are implemented at food processing facilities,
the heat from the biogas system can be incorporated into food processing
activities and byproducts can be used directly on-site.
Can biogas systems reduce energy costs for agricultural and food
producers?
Agricultural and food producers can use the electricity produced
from their biogas system to meet their operation's energy demands.
In addition, they can sell excess electricity to the electrical
grid. This can be an additional source of revenue for the operation.
The excess heat from co-gen systems can also reduce heating costs
for the operator in the house, the barn or the food processing facility.
Once carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide are removed, biogas can
be added to natural gas lines. Purified biogas can also be used
as fuel in specially-modified vehicles, although this type of vehicle
is not yet common in Canada.
For questions about
program details and updates, please contact the Agricultural
Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
