Province investing in facility to produce renewable fuel

By Lethbridge Herald on July 27, 2021.

Herald photo by Dale Woodard Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks, speaks Tuesday afternoon at the official announcement of the new $28.6 million facility at Canary Biofuels Plant in Lethbridge, which is expected to be open by this fall.

Dale Woodard
Lethbridge Herald
The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction fund is supporting a new facility in southern Alberta that will create jobs and cut emissions by transforming agricultural waste.
Alberta’s government is using $4.7 million from the TIER fund through Emissions Reduction Alberta to create a $28.6-million facility at Canary Biofuels Plant in Lethbridge that will produce an estimated 70 million litres of high-value renewable fuel.
“It’s exciting to be celebrating the latest ground-breaking technology that is cutting emissions, getting Albertans back to work and showcasing Alberta’s impressive progress on technology and innovation,” said Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks at the official announcement Tuesday afternoon. “The $5 million of technology, innovation and emissions reduction for the TIER fund will help Canary Biofuels make the upgrades needed to create a $28 million renewable facility right here in Lethbridge County.”
The new Canary Biofuels facility is expected to be operational by fall 2021.
“It will take local agriculture waste, inedible animal fats and used cooking oil and turn these into renewable fuel,” said Nixon. “This facility will have significant economic and environmental benefits for our province. Canary Biofuels will buy more than $375 million worth of local feedstock from farmers over the next five years, generating about $500 million in revenue.”
The facility will support up to 130 local jobs in field, including engineering, construction and transportation and will also cut approximately 224,000 tonnes of emissions each year, the equivalent of reducing emissions from the electricity used by 41,000 homes.
The facility’s biodiesel will have up to one-third the carbon intensity of petroleum diesel.
The renewable fuel produced at the facility has also been pre-sold to a leading Canadian supplier of biodiesel whose customers include fuel retailers, wholesalers, distributors and fleet managers across Canada and the United States.
“We are very excited about the potential to expand our industrial base and explore new opportunities for economic development and diversifications in the county and Canary Biofuels Plant is the latest example of a forward-thinking company showing great leadership and contributing to our region’s economic and environmental success,” said Lorne Hickey, reeve of Lethbridge County.
“Because of our abundance of natural resources, alternative energy development has emerged as a forerunner in our region and today’s biofuels is no exception. We are fortunate that in the face of the pandemic and volatile commodity prices there are options and emerging opportunities for our farmers and producers to look at new markets. Lethbridge County is perfectly positioned to attract new investors, professionals and the labour force needed to diversify our economy.”
The funding is part of the province’s commitment of up to $750 million for emissions reduction and economic diversification programs and projects through the TIER fund and other funding that will directly support about 9,000 jobs and put $1.9 billion into Alberta’s economy.
“Farmers know that if we take care of the land it will take care of us and our families,” said Grant Hunter, MLA for Taber-Warner. “Many farmers know that integrating emissions reductions can also help the bottom line, it can even make money. As world leaders in agriculture emissions reductions, Alberta farmers will be key beneficiaries of the renewable diesel produced at this facility.”
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