Strengthening Canada’s bioindustrial sector through research and innovation is a critical step towards enhancing the nation’s competitiveness and paving the way for a sustainable future. 

On behalf of the Honorable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Peter Fragiskatos, Member of Parliament for London North Centre, announced that Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) will receive up to CA$6.6 million through the AgriScience Program’s Clusters Component. This is an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

BIC is a not-for-profit business accelerator focused on clean, green, and sustainable technologies, providing strategic investment, advice, and services to businesses in the sector.

Unlocking Canada’s Bioeconomy

More than 140 forest bioeconomy companies are actively innovating across Canada, creating a dynamic and promising technology value chain. Despite this, Canada lags behind countries like Finland and the U.S. in having a formal, cohesive government strategy to support the bioeconomy.

For instance, the Biden administration has committed $2 billion to biomanufacturing in the U.S., demonstrating a significant “all-of-government” approach.

READ MORE: Can Biden-Harris Investment Backup Spark a Biofuel Boom in the U.S.?

Sue Coueslan, vice-president of strategies and partnerships at Natural Products Canada, highlighted Canada’s key assets in the bioeconomy. These include extensive access to biomass, strong primary sectors with deep expertise, a skilled workforce, and a growing bioeconomy. These strengths position Canada to potentially capture a $1-trillion opportunity in various areas, namely:

water and waste treatment, 
bioproducts and sustainability, 
health and nutrition,
animal health, and 
value-added agriculture.

However, to fully capitalize on this opportunity, Coueslan emphasized the need for Canada to recognize the bioeconomy as a national priority. This would require a whole-of-government commitment and the establishment of a national framework to overcome jurisdictional silos and drive cohesive, cross-sectoral growth.

This is where the CA$6.6 million BIC funding can help to jumpstart the industry. 

Turning Waste into Wealth

The funding will support the Bioproducts Cluster, led by BIC, in developing advanced technologies that convert renewable resources, such as agricultural residues, into valuable bioenergy, biofuels, and biomaterials. These include products like ethanol and biodegradable plastics. They are essential for supporting the transition to a renewable-based economy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

The research will focus on improving biomass production, creating new bioproducts from Canadian crops, and turning by-products into value-added commodities.

The bioeconomy involves using renewable biological resources to produce food, goods, and energy sustainably, driving economic growth. In 2015, Canadian industrial bioproducts producers used about 22 million metric tonnes of biomass, with around 43% sourced from the agricultural sector. 

For the same year, the revenue from Canadian industrial bioproducts was estimated at CA$4.27 billion. By 2030, the global bioeconomy is projected to reach CA$10.5 trillion annually, with Canada’s share expected to rise to CA$240 billion.

Canada’s Push to Compete in Bioindustrial Innovation

Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food that the Bioproducts Cluster is helping to find green solutions that maximize resource use. He further noted that:

“This funding will provide new opportunities for our farmers to profit from agricultural by-products that would otherwise go to waste. It’s a win for farmers and a step toward a more sustainable future for all Canadians.”

Meaghan Seagrave, Executive Director, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada remarked that integrating agricultural feedstocks and bioproducts into various industry value chains will enhance Canada’s agricultural prospects and support industrial decarbonization.

BIC has previously received significant funding, including CA$5.5 million through the Growing Forward 2 framework and CA$11.2 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership framework. The AgriScience Program, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, aims to accelerate innovation by funding pre-commercial science activities and research that benefit Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.

READ MORE: The Evolution of Biomass and Its Generations

The Clusters Component specifically supports projects that mobilize industry, government, and academia through partnerships to address priority national themes and horizontal issues.

Canada’s strategic investment in BIC marks a significant step toward enhancing the nation’s bioindustrial sector. As Canada positions itself to capture a larger share of the global bioeconomy, this initiative underscores the importance of a cohesive national strategy to remain competitive and achieve long-term sustainability goals.

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A new report, The World Nuclear Performance Report 2024, reveals a significant increase in global nuclear power generation and average capacity factors. These findings demonstrate the continued excellent performance of the global nuclear reactor fleet.  

Key takeaways from the report include a rise in global nuclear electricity generation to 2602 TWh in 2023, up from 2544 TWh in 2022, which now accounts for 9% of the world’s electricity. This makes nuclear power the second-largest clean energy source, following hydropower.

Moreover, the average capacity factor of nuclear reactors increased by 1%, reaching 81.5% in 2023. This sustained the trend of high global capacity factors reported since 2000, underscoring the reliability of nuclear energy as a clean energy source. 

For over 20 years, nuclear reactors have consistently maintained capacity factors above 80%, highlighting their dependability in supplying energy to the grid. This long-standing performance record reinforces nuclear power’s role as one of the most reliable sources of clean energy. 

A Powerhouse for Clean Energy

The report further showed that the global nuclear industry saw a balanced activity of reactor shutdowns and new grid connections. Five reactors were decommissioned, while five new reactors were connected to the grid in various countries, including China, Slovakia, the USA, Belarus, and South Korea. 

A significant milestone for the United States was the connection of Vogtle 3 to the grid, marking the first nuclear power plant to start and complete construction in more than 40 years, with Vogtle 4 also set to follow shortly.

READ MORE: US Targets 200 GW Nuclear Expansion to Meet Soaring Energy Demand

The year also witnessed a concentration of new construction activities in Asia, where the nuclear generation has seen a sustained and significant increase over the past decade. Out of the 64 reactors currently under construction worldwide, more than two-thirds are in Asia, with China alone accounting for 30 reactors. 

In 2023, 5 of the 6 new construction starts occurred in China, with the remaining one in Egypt, contributing to Africa’s growing role in the global nuclear landscape. Eastern Europe and Russia followed Asia in the number of nuclear units under construction, further reflecting the regional dynamics in the nuclear energy sector.

France, the host of the 2024 Summer Olympics, heavily relied on nuclear energy, with over 60% of its electricity being generated by nuclear reactors, thanks to the return to service of several French reactors that contributed an additional 42 TWh. The 1% increase in global capacity factor from the previous year reflects strong and consistent reactor performance, irrespective of the reactors’ age.

Asia Leads the Charge in Nuclear Expansion

Nuclear energy’s environmental impact is notable, as reactors helped avoid 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. That figure is more than the annual emissions of nearly every country, with only China, the U.S., and India having higher national CO2 emissions.

The report highlights that 64 reactors are currently under construction across 15 countries, with over 20 nations, including Ghana, Poland, and the Philippines, developing policies to enable the construction of their first nuclear plants.

Dr. Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, emphasized that nuclear energy remains one of the most reliable sources of clean energy for the grid. She also noted the continued excellent performance of the global reactor fleet, the rapid expansion of nuclear power in the UAE, and the growing nuclear generation in China as indicators of a high-performing industry.

Dr. Sama further states that: 

“The global nuclear industry is set for a period of major expansion. At COP 28, 25 countries signed the declaration to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. Excitingly, there are new reactors coming online and plans for new construction in a diverse range of countries…Our Performance Report indicates that reactors built now will produce dependable, carbon-free energy for decades and decades.”

Nuclear Energy’s Role in the Global Clean Energy Push

Despite a slight decrease in global nuclear capacity—down by one gigawatt due to the start-up of 5 reactors and the closure of 5 others—the increase in generation underscores the efficiency and value of nuclear energy. 

In 2023, nuclear reactor capacity factors across most regions remained consistent with the average levels observed over the previous 5 years. North America continued to lead with the highest average capacity factors, underscoring the reliability and efficiency of its nuclear fleet. 

In contrast, Africa’s sole operational nuclear facility, South Africa’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, experienced significant outages in 2022 and 2023 due to extensive steam generator replacements, which impacted its performance during this period. Despite these challenges, Koeberg remains a crucial component of Africa’s energy infrastructure.

The report also details new grid connections and construction starts, with five reactors connected to the grid for the first time in 2023, across countries like China, Slovakia, the USA, Belarus, and South Korea.

Asia, particularly China, has seen a significant and sustained increase in nuclear generation over the last decade. Of the 64 reactors currently under construction, more than two-thirds are in Asia, with 30 in China alone. 

Meanwhile, Africa, led by Egypt’s El Dabaa project, is ahead of North and South America, as well as Western and Central Europe, in terms of reactors under construction, with Eastern Europe and Russia following Asia in the number of units being built.

SEE MORE: What The USD$91Billion In Nuclear Weapons Spending Could Have Bought Instead

Overall, while the global push to decarbonize is intensifying, there is a growing recognition of nuclear energy as a reliable solution to meet the world’s rising demand for clean, secure, and affordable energy.

As nations work to rapidly increase carbon-free energy generation to achieve decarbonization goals, nuclear power is gaining support across countries. This shift reflects its potential to provide a stable and dependable energy source while helping reduce global carbon emissions.

The post New Report Reveals Nuclear Power Generation Hits New Highs appeared first on Carbon Credits.

In the second quarter of 2024, the U.S. saw an unprecedented surge in solar panel imports, setting a new record as shipments flooded into the country. 

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Global Trade Analytics Suite, U.S. imports reached 17.4 GW. This marks a 36% increase from the same period in 2023. This spike was primarily driven by factories in Vietnam and Thailand, which were the largest contributors to the influx of photovoltaic (PV) modules. 

The previous record for quarterly imports was 15 GW, achieved in the last quarter of 2023 and nearly matched in the first quarter of 2024.

Racing Against the Clock 

The significant rise in imports follows President Joe Biden’s decision to grant a two-year tariff waiver on solar cells and modules from Southeast Asia in 2022. This waiver allowed the industry to bypass duties that had previously been imposed on Chinese-made PV shipments that were found to be circumventing U.S. tariffs.

READ MORE: Harnessing the Sun: America’s Solar Snapshot in April 2024

Since the waiver’s implementation, the volume of solar component imports has tripled, reflecting the industry’s response to the relaxed restrictions.

As the waiver approached its expiration in June 2024, manufacturers and developers hurried to import as many panels as possible. They do so as they’re anticipating potential new tariffs.

Vietnam led the charge, shipping about 7.3 GW of solar panels to the U.S. in the second quarter. This accounted for 41.6% of total imports during that period. This was a significant increase from the 5.4 GW imported in the first quarter. 

Thailand followed with 3.8 GW, or 22.1% of the total imports, while Malaysia, India, and Cambodia contributed 12.5%, 11%, and 6.4%, respectively. Major importers during this period included affiliates of China-based Trina Solar Co. Ltd. and Arizona’s First Solar Inc.

Amid this surge, the U.S. solar industry is witnessing a wave of new domestic factories, spurred by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which are now competing for a share of the growing market. However, U.S. manufacturers, who have invested billions of dollars, raised concerns about the sharp increase in imports. They argued that the spike in crystalline-silicon cell and panel imports from Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Vietnam, poses a severe threat to the survival of U.S. producers.

The U.S. Solar Industry’s Battle: Domestic vs. Imported

The American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, with members including major players like First Solar and Qcells, filed a “critical circumstance” petition with the U.S. Commerce Department. 

The petition requests a rapid assessment to determine whether the sudden influx of imports warrants retroactive duties before the department completes its ongoing investigation into Southeast Asian imports. The group argues that these imports are rushed into the country to avoid the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties.

Dumping is a practice where products are sold on a market at unfairly low prices, below the cost of production. 

This petition comes at a time when the U.S. is attempting to establish a strong domestic supply chain for its rapidly expanding solar industry, which is still heavily reliant on imports. In response to these challenges, President Biden recently increased the cap on the volume of solar cells that can be imported without triggering a 14.25% tariff. 

The new cap, raised from 5 GW to 12.5 GW, was implemented in response to a September 2023 petition from domestic industry representatives. They argued that US cell production was insufficient to meet demand, making reliance on imports necessary in the short term.

Following the Alliance’s petition, Clean Energy Associates (CEA) predicted that a successful outcome could lead to a bottleneck in the supply of solar cells in the U.S. This shortage could increase the prices of both domestically produced and imported solar modules by up to $0.15/watt. The U.S. heavily relies on SEA countries for its solar cell supply, making the potential impact of these tariffs significant.

Rising Prices, Falling Costs and the Shifting Landscape of U.S. Solar Manufacturing

Despite these potential challenges, it’s worth noting that prices across the PV supply chain have decreased significantly over the past years. Thus, solar modules now represent a smaller portion of the overall cost of a solar project than they once did. This price drop could help mitigate the impact of any price increases on the solar market.

Chart from OurWorldinData.org

The U.S. solar industry is in a state of transition, with domestic module manufacturing expanding rapidly. A report identified 31 GW of US module manufacturing capacity that is either online or in the process of ramping up. This includes facilities from First Solar and Qcells, as well as U.S. affiliates of China-based PV companies like Trina Solar (U.S.) Inc. 

However, the report also highlighted the absence of U.S. manufacturing for solar cells and wafers. Qcells plans to address this gap by bringing an integrated 3.3-GW ingot, wafer, cell, and panel complex online in Georgia later this year.

SEE MORE: US Solar Installations in Q1 2024 Surpass 100 GW Milestone

As the U.S. navigates these complex dynamics, the outcome of the ongoing trade disputes and the future of domestic manufacturing will be crucial in determining the nation’s ability to build a resilient and self-sufficient solar industry.

The post Will Record-Breaking Solar Imports Reshape U.S. Industry Amid Tariff Uncertainty? appeared first on Carbon Credits.

In 2024, the biofuel industry is on track for a significant boost. Thanks to increased investments in renewable diesel and biodiesel. The Biden-Harris administration’s support is set to accelerate this growth, making these biofuels key players in the shift toward cleaner energy. Let’s discover what’s happening in this space.

Surge in Renewable Diesel Production

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). the country has seen a major rise in renewable diesel production, with five new plants opening in 2018. This increase pushed the production capacity of this alternative fuel to 282,000 barrels per day (bpd). Recently two new facilities in the Gulf Coast and West Coast regions, and one on the East Coast were installed. With these, the country now has a total 22 renewable diesel plants. Notably, the West Coast alone saw its capacity more than double to 82,000 bpd this year.

But Why Biodiesel Plants Are Struggling?

As U.S. fuel makers shift toward renewable diesel to adapt to the decline of petroleum-based fuels, the production of this biofuel remains expensive and heavily subsidized by federal and state governments. However, the rapid expansion of renewable diesel has squeezed out some biodiesel manufacturers, who receive fewer financial incentives from the government. From media reports, we discovered that over the past year, three biofuel plants—located on the East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest—were forced to close.

Even though biodiesel production capacity is relatively stable at 136,000 bpd, more closures are likely to happen in the future. Talking about closures, Chevron has indefinitely shut down two biodiesel production facilities in the U.S.

Another factor behind the potentially crashing demand for biodiesel is high production costs. It is certainly more expensive than conventional petroleum diesel and renewable diesel. Even though it burns green and generates credits, it is not pocket-friendly. This has led to a slight imbalance in the demand and supply of biodiesel.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported, ethanol production saw a slight boost. Although one plant closed on the East Coast, a newer, larger facility on the Gulf Coast increased the total output capacity of 187 operational plants by 2%, reaching 1.18 million bpd. In another report, the media house also stated that by 2023, the combined output capacity for biomass-based diesel, including biodiesel, in the U.S. exceeded 5 billion gallons.

SEE MORE: First Ethanol Facility to Issue Carbon Removal Credits

EIA Uncovers the Shifting Landscape of Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel

EIA reported that biodiesel exports reached their highest point in 2008 due to an “unintended” discrepancy in tax credits in the European Union. However, exports fell sharply after was salvaged. From 2011 onward, biodiesel production and consumption increased, largely driven by the Renewable Fuel Standard.  However, in recent years, both production and consumption have declined, possibly due to the rise of renewable diesel.

This chart shows trends in U.S. biodiesel production, exports, and consumption from 2001 to 2023.

Source: EIA

Renewable diesel is becoming more popular because it meets the same quality standards as petroleum diesel. This fuel is mainly produced from used cooking oil and inedible animal fats, which are leftovers from meat processing. It syncs well with diesel engines and infrastructure, requiring no modifications. Renewable diesel is predominantly used in California, where it takes advantage of financial incentives from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

This graph shows U.S. renewable diesel fuel production and consumption.

Source: EIA

The Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Domestic Biofuels and Clean Energy

On August 16, the USDA announced that the Biden-Harris administration will invest in domestic biofuels and clean energy as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $99.6 million in funding through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and REAP.

It further noted, that ever since the Biden-Harris Administration began, the USDA has invested over $220 million into biofuel access and $2.2 billion into renewable energy projects.

Moving on, they are using the REAP program to support the Justice40 Initiative. It ensures that 40% of the benefits from federal climate and clean energy investments go to communities that have faced underinvestment and pollution. As part of this effort, the USDA is awarding $90.3 million in grants to 89 projects across 26 states.

Can it Revive America’s Future for Biofuels?

This investment, backed by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, aims to increase access to biofuels and clean energy systems. These efforts are designed to strengthen energy independence, create jobs, and provide new opportunities for American farmers and rural communities. Additionally, these grants will help businesses upgrade infrastructure like fuel pumps and storage tanks, boosting economic growth in rural areas.

Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the University of Minnesota and spoke about investing in the American bioeconomy announced, where he disclosed the funding. A significant example of this funding beneficiary is The Corner Store in Inver Grove Heights, which is getting a $518,250 grant to upgrade its fuel infrastructure. The store will install four E15 dispensers, four E85 dispensers, and two ethanol storage tanks. These upgrades are expected to boost ethanol sales by 506,100 gallons per year. Other notable upgrades are:

In Georgia, CSX Transportation Inc. received a $1.9 million grant to set up a 200-gallon biodiesel storage tank, along with distribution equipment and electric monitoring tools. The company plans to increase biofuel availability by 1 million gallons per year with this investment.
In Nevada, Anabi Real Estate Development LLC secured a $3.7 million grant to install three E85 dispensers and three B20 dispensers at two fueling stations. This project aims to raise biofuel sales by over 80,000 gallons per year.

Following this, he assured by saying,

 “By expanding access to homegrown biofuels and clean energy systems, we are strengthening our energy independence, addressing the impacts of climate change and creating new market opportunities and revenue streams for American producers while bringing good-paying jobs in rural communities.”

Overall, we can count on the right policies and tax incentives for growth of the biofuel. USDA’s new investment plan offers a promising boost for biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable energy, and other biofuels, paving the way for a smooth transition to clean energy.

FURTHER READING: Why Shell Hit the Brakes on New Rotterdam’s Biofuel Plant

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