The Manitoba government has changed its emission standards to encourage the use of biomass energy.
The modifications will help straw and wood heating systems compete with conventional fossil fuel systems, Manitoba conservation minister Bill Blaikie said in a statement.
The regulatory changes should improve the approval process for biomass energy systems, said Ryan Coulter, an environmental engineer with Manitoba Conservation.
“What we want to do is take that legislative approval and move it from a licensing procedure to a permit procedure,” he said. “If someone wants to convert a coal burning furnace, for example, to a biomass fed gasifier, a pyrolysis system … it will be under a permit…. So the time period (for approval) would be shorter.”
Read Also
Powdery mildew can be combine fire risk
Dust from powdery mildew can cause fires in combines.
The rules could provide a new and growing market for agricultural residue, but Manitoba Sustainable Energy Association spokesperson Roger Haynes remained skeptical.
“Yes, it’s a positive step forward,” said Haynes, who grows willow trees on his farm near Neepawa, Man., which are used to make wood chips and wood pellets.
“My fear is that private enterprise and entrepreneurship will not be allowed to come forward. It again will controlled by government.”
Haynes said Manitoba Hydro dominates the industry in the province, making it nearly impossible for small players to enter the energy marketplace.
That is unfortunate, he added, because the resources for biomass energy in Canada are nearly infinite.
“We have huge surpluses of crop residue, which are basically under-utilized. We have 10 percent of the world’s trees. We have a huge capacity to use biomass from those trees and it is not being done.”
Sweden, Northern Ireland and Denmark are decades ahead of Canada when it comes to biomass energy, he said.
They are so far in front on this biomass thing, it really isn’t funny.”
———
“access=subscriber section=news, crops, none
