Primer on Bioproducts - BIOCAP Canada

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Fuelled by Biodiesel —continuedused as an additive in up to five percent of the conventional diesel fuelblend until an optimum blend ratiocan be found that will improvebiodiesel’s winter performance.In Canada, very little biodiesel isproduced commercially; however,an increase is expected over thenext few years. Demonstrationprojects to test the viability ofbiodiesel as a fuel for city transitand public works fleets have beenestablished in a number ofmunicipalities, including Kingston,Montreal, Saskatoon, Brampton,Guelph, Vancouver, Whistler, Halifaxand Toronto. BIOX Corporation ofToronto has developed a newchemical technology that producesbiodiesel from biomass at a cost40–50 per cent cheaper than otherbiodiesel processes. The companyis planning to launch its firstcommercial-scale biodieselproduction facility (60 million litresper year) in 2004.This not only makes electricity, but also burns methane — agreenhouse gas 21 times more potent than CO 2— before it isreleased into the atmosphere.The municipality of Kitchener–Waterloo, for example, togetherwith Toromont Energy, use naturally created landfill gases —gases that were once simply burned off — to produce electricity.A network of subterranean pipes collects the gases from thelandfill and uses them to fuel an electrical generating station.In Lethbridge, Alberta, ECB Enviro is building a pilot facility thatwill produce biogas energy (as well as treated water andfertilizer) using pig farm manure generated by area hogoperations. The company expects the plant, which beganconstruction in 2003, to use 100,000 tonnes of manure per year,while generating enough electricity for about 900 homes.Biomass as a Fuel Cell Hydrogen SourceBiomass may also have a role to play in the development ofrenewable hydrogen fuel for fuel cells. Fuel cells generate powerby combining hydrogen fuels and oxygen (without combustion)to produce water and electricity.Hydrogen is extremely volatile and explosive. It also takes up alot of room relative to the amount of energy it provides, and it isdifficult to store and deliver to consumers. One way around theseobstacles is to use established fuels as a portable source of thehydrogen. Ethanol and methane made from biomass can beprocessed into hydrogen for fuel cells. Fuel-cell powered carsgenerate fewer tailpipe emissions and have higher fuel efficiencythan standard gasoline-powered automobiles.30CHAPTER 3 — BIOFUELS AND BIOENERGY
Fuel cells were first used commercially byNASA in the 1960s. Currently, North Americanautomobile manufacturers, as well as manyforeign auto manufacturers, are trying todevelop cost-effective fuel-cell vehicles. Forcars and other vehicles, fuel cells could meanless maintenance than for conventionallyproduced vehicles, and the ability to achieveup to 130 kilometres per litre of fuel (almost 10times more efficient than the average cartoday).A prototype of a car powered by fuel cells.Source:ce: Ballard Power Systems. www.ballard.comPRIMER ON BIOPRODUCTS31
Page 6: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSPollution Probe and
Page 10 and 11: The potential of bioproducts is bei
Page 12 and 13: Chapter 1Photo: Corel Corporation6
Page 14 and 15: Pervasive PetroleumFossil fuels are
Page 16 and 17: Bioproducts and theCarbon CycleOne
Page 18 and 19: PyrolysisPyrolysis is a process tha
Page 20 and 21: developing nations involved in the
Page 22 and 23: Some Examples of BioproductsProduct
Page 26 and 27: Canadian Forest ProductsThe Canadia
Page 28 and 29: What Other Nations Are Doing?Accord
Page 32 and 33: Does Canada Have a“Green Advantag
Page 34 and 35: Processes for producing electrical
Page 38 and 39: Chapter 4Photo: www.comstock.com/ca
Page 40 and 41: consume less energy and produce les
Page 42 and 43: Enzymes at Work — continuedproces
Page 44 and 45: Industrial EcologySome thinkers, no
Page 48 and 49: Wood Pulping with FungusTraditional
Page 50 and 51: BioremediationSpills and environmen
Page 54 and 55: Faced with this uncertainty and com
Page 56 and 57: Some Benefits ofGenetically Modifie
Page 58 and 59: In some cases, such as pulp bleachi
Page 60 and 61: A Challenge toBiotechnology PolicyS
Page 62 and 63: Becoming an InformedCitizen on Biop
Page 64 and 65: Chapter 7Photo: www.comstock.com/ca
Page 66 and 67: The opportunities for Canadians to
Page 68 and 69: Environment Canada, EnvironmentalTe
Page 70 and 71: White House Executive Order #13134.
Page 72 and 73: Mooney, H. A., and P.G. Risser. 198
Page 74 and 75: Catalysts: Agents (such as enzymes
Page 76: TORONTO OFFICE:625 Church StreetSui

Primer on Bioproducts - BIOCAP Canada

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