Federal Renewable Fuel Standard in effect
December 17, 2010
By Canadian Renewable Fuels Association
Dec. 17, 2010, Ottawa – The Canadian government’s landmark Renewable Fuels Standard officially came into force on December 15, 2010.
Dec. 17, 2010, Ottawa – The Canadian
government’s landmark Renewable Fuels Standard officially came into force on
December 15, 2010. This will add some two billion litres of renewable fuels
such as ethanol and biodiesel into the Canadian gasoline pool each year and
change the way Canadians drive going forward.
“Starting on December 15th, Canadians will
be fuelling change every time they drive,” says Gordon Quaiattini, president of
the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. “Five percent of the gasoline that
Canadians pump into their vehicles will come from renewable green sources
harvested and produced across Canada. Ethanol and biodiesel help diversify our
fuel supply, add new income for farmers, and reduce harmful greenhouse gases.”
According to a recent third-party study,
Canadian ethanol reduces greenhouse gases by 62% compared to fossil fuels, and
biodiesel generates a remarkable 99% reduction. The new renewable fuels
standard represents an annual cut of 4.2 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, the
equivalent of removing one million cars from our nation’s highways.
From an economic perspective, the
contribution of renewable fuels is a substantial source of economic and
financial benefit to rural Canada. Construction of biofuels facilities has
generated roughly $3 billion in economic activity, and ongoing operations
represent a $2 billion annual economic contribution.
For Canadian farmers, higher incomes that
flow from the sale of surplus feedstock bring additional security and lessen
reliance on income and safety net programs. For the Canadian forestry sector,
the use of waste wood and byproducts will similarly see significant new
economic gains as cellulosic and advanced biofuels are commercialized.
“With the renewable fuel standard coming
into effect, Canada is now positioned to become a world leader in advanced
biofuels,” adds Quaiattini. “The production and the commercialization of
next-generation advanced biofuels using state-of-the-art technologies and a
wide variety of feedstocks is underway.”
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