Biofuels from Nova Scotia Forests?

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On This Page
– BIOFUEL DREAMS
– A NOVA SCOTIA MEGAPROJECT ANNOUNCED SEP 13, 2024
– AN EARLIER RENDITION
– SHADES OF CELLUFUEL?
– ON NS FOREST BIOMASS
– ON BIOMASS SUSTAINABILITY

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BIOFUEL DREAMS

Dreams of a Biorefinery in Nova Scotia and related concepts (Bioplastics, Biofuel, and Bioeconomy…) go back to 2012, the closure of the Bowater-Mersey Mill, and  to the birth and eventual passing of “Cellufuel”, courtesy of many taxpayer $.

But the dream didn’t die.

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The latest version: 

A NOVA SCOTIA MEGAPROJECT ANNOUNCED SEP 13, 2024

This appears to be a step up from ‘traditional’ biofuels in that it is planning to use wind and solar-generated energy in the production of biofuel (in this case “sustainable aviation fuel”) from forest biomass. The more traditional approaches such as was envisaged for “Cellufuel” and more recently for SustainAgro’s Renewable Diesel, at least as I understand it, would use forest biomass for both energy and feedstock in the production of biofuel.

See:

Irish company plans renewable energy megaproject for rural Nova Scotia
Taryn Grant · CBC News Sep 13, 2024

Extracts from the text article (bolding inserted):

– Irish renewable energy firm Simply Blue is gearing up for a multibillion-dollar project on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore that’s meant to convert wind, solar and biomass energy into jet fuel. The company has been quietly working on the project for three years and shared details publicly for the first time on Friday.

– The megaproject would include two sites in Guysborough County — a joint wind and solar farm in St. Mary’s would connect, through a dedicated transmission line, to a plant in Goldboro. The plant would use the wind and solar energy, as well as wood chips, to power hydrogen production. The hydrogen, in turn, would power the production of what Simply Blue calls sustainable aviation fuel.

– Simply Blue has a deal with Wagner Forest, a woodlot manager, to buy 700,000 tonnes of biomass annually. It said it would start stockpiling a couple of years before starting production.

– If the company raises the funds and gets all the necessary permits and approvals, Galvin said production could begin in 2029.

– Wind and solar farms would be built next to each other in St. Mary’s, about 50 kilometres away from the plant. The company projects needing about 100 wind turbines.

– Barry Carroll, the CAO of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, said the local government has unanimously supported the project, so far, but added that they’ll be watching out for the best interests of residents.

– Tori Evans is a Guysborough resident and was not pleased to hear about Simply Blue’s plans, particularly the wind farm. “If this was a typical wind project, 10 to 15 turbines, greening our grid, that would be amazing, that would be something a lot of residents here would support,” she said in an interview Friday. But she said the scale bothers her.

– Ray Plourde, senior wilderness co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, took issue with Simply Blue’s plans for biomass. “The whole idea of burning our forests as a climate solution is insane.” “The volumes that they’re talking about … 700,000 tonnes a year, is on par with a medium-sized pulp mill in terms of consumptive capacity. I don’t think our forests and our biodiversity, our wildlife, can take that kind of industrial use.”

Irish company planning to produce jet fuel in Goldboro, N.S., at former LNG site
By Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press , posted on halifax.citynews.ca Sep 13, 2024.“An energy firm based in Ireland says it is planning to produce sustainable aviation fuel at the site where a liquefied natural gas project had been proposed on Nova Scotia’s eastern shore…Simply Blue Group announced Friday that construction would begin in 2026 with the biofuel project expected to be operating by 2029 in Goldboro, N.S., about 165 kilometres northeast of Halifax…The company says it has secured about 305 hectares of land for development, including 108 hectares previously owned by Calgary-base Pieridae Energy, which had planned to build a $10-billion liquified natural gas export terminal at the site. But the project, proposed in 2012, was shelved in 2021…Simply Blue says that every year its Goldboro project will source about 700,000 tonnes of wood biomass through Wagner Forest NS Ltd. to produce 150,000 tonnes of the fuel. Wood biomass is typically defined as residue from the wood processing industry and material left behind by forest management, but it can also be created by harvesting smaller, less-desirable trees…Meanwhile, the company also said it will make use of wind and solar power to produce the fuel. Tory Rushton, the province’s natural resources minister, issued a statement saying the plant could represent a new market for the province’s forestry sector. “We know many landowners have an abundance of low-grade wood fibre …. so this is another renewable energy project coming to Nova Scotia,” the minister said, adding that the project requires environmental and safety approvals…Raymond Plourde, wilderness co-ordinator at the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, said in an interview the term “low-grade” biomass doesn’t only refer to the wood chips and sawdust created in sawmills, but it can also include cutting species of trees unwanted by sawmills. He said 700,000 tonnes of biomass a year is “huge,” and he estimates it represents the “consumptive capacity” of a medium-sized pulp mill. ”

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AN EARLIER RENDITION: SustainAgro’s “Renewable Diesel”.

Forestry Sector Council Newsletter, July 26, 2024. Vol 3, Issue 4:

“We celebrated our fourth Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 19, 2024, in Truro, featuring insightful discussions, and forward-thinking strategies. Meeting highlights included:

• SustainAgro‘s presentation on Renewable Diesel, showcasing its potential as a sustainable alternative made from forestry and agricultural waste.”

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So what is the SustainAgro all about?

SUSTAINAGRO LEADING THE WAY IN LOW CARBON LIQUID FUELS AND CLIMATE ACTION
On innovationsoftheworld.com No Date. “…After an extensive global search, SustainAgro believes it has discovered the most efficient method for producing low carbon fuels from biomass. The company plans to establish a series of plants in regions with surplus biomass, maximizing the utilization of this valuable resource…Quantifying the impact, SustainAgro estimates that if the annual diesel consumption of Nova Scotia—amounting to 715 million liters—were entirely produced and consumed within the province, it would contribute a staggering $3 billion to the provincial GDP. Imagine if all provinces, leveraging their available biomass, produced and consumed various forms of liquid fuels within their own borders. SustainAgro calls this vision the democratization of the energy industry, where sustainability and economic prosperity intertwine.

From www.sustain-agro.com:

“SustainAgro Ltd. is a renewable diesel and agricultural product manufacturing and sales company utilizing a world-class patented biomass pyrolysis technology to produce premium quality outputs of providing alternative solutions to the forestry’s use of cellulose with up to 4 value-added green and sustainable products.

“This technology converts biomass to produce renewable diesel, bio-accelerant, high carbon content biochar, and graphene outputs. SA’s overarching goal is scalable emissions reduction, with a focus on low-carbon intensity operations, products, and partners.”

“…SA’s renewable diesel is a direct diesel fuel substitute made from renewable materials (waste products), used to power diesel engines. SustainAgro produces synthetic diesel, which is renewable, manufactured domestically utilizing wood fiber and a biomass pyrolysis process to produce a product virtually identical to petroleum diesel, where there are many direct replacement applications.”

“… How We Commercialized

“SustainAgro has completed an in-depth evaluation of the technology, the patents, and the complete economic model. Commercialization is well underway in our Eastern Canada operations. The senior team is finalizing contracts, and working towards breaking ground in 2024.

“We note the Federal Climate Action plan released in December 2020 identified the gradual carbon pricing growth to $170 per ton of GHGs by 2030. The new clean fuel standard is legislation, coming into effect in 2023, and the resulting decarbonizing of liquid fuels will increase the value of our carbon-neutral fuels. Thus providing a significant tailwind to our business.”

“…ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS PRODUCED INCLUDE:

Biochar A charcoal is produced from plant matter and stored in the soil as a means of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, increasing moisture/nutrient retention, improving resistance to pests, and has greater drought tolerance.

Wood Vinegar An organic, non-bleaching bio-stimulant that improves soil quality, controls plant growth, and is resistant to pests and diseases. While there are many possible applications, the most promising market for wood vinegar is related to agriculture and organic farming.

Graphene An allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice nanostructure. Graphene can be used in many construction materials, including nano-technology, bio-technology, quantum computing, superconductors, solar energy, EV batteries, etc.”

– SustainAgro eyes Kensington, P.E.I., for first-in-Canada renewable diesel pant
By Canadian Biomass staff, May 26, 2023.   “SustainAgro is planning to build a first-of-its-kind in Canada renewable diesel plant in Kensington, P.E.I., that will turn biomass into advanced biodiesel, biochar and wood vinegar.” Link to Green energy business eyes opportunity in P.E.I.’s net-zero plans by Lisa Catterall  for CBC News,  May 22, 2023:  “The facility will take biomass — such as waste wood — and turn it into renewable diesel through a process called pyrolysis. ”

– Kensington Mayor Blames Province for Loss of $150M Plant, 30 Jobs
February 13, 2024 by Laura Chapin (CBC News) “The mayor of Kensington is frustrated that a $150-million renewable diesel plant proposed for the town’s industrial park will not happen, and he is blaming the provincial government. Rowan Caseley says SustainAgro Ltd. is now looking at building a plant in Thunder Bay, Ont., or Debert, N.S., instead…SustainAgro’s chief government and global relations officer, Joachim Stroink, said they decided to abandon plans in Kensington after provincial officials told them last year that a moratorium on new biomass projects was about to be implemented. Stroink said SustainAgro was told about a month later that there would be no such moratorium, but he said it was too late by that time. The Prince Edward Island government has been working on creating a policy to ensure biomass is harvested in a sustainable manner on the Island, after an independent review by the P.E.I. Forestry Commission released in July 2023 raised concerns.A SustainAgro email supplied to CBC News outlines updates to its EIA application in the wake of the forestry commission report, committing to use only wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, even if that meant using barges to bring in wood from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. However, P.E.I.’s minister of environment, energy and climate change, Steven Myers, told CBC News that staff from his department had not received that information, and that’s why the EIA process had stalled.

– Sustainability of Biomass Utilisation: Sustainability of Biomass Utilisation Issue analysis by the Prince Edward Island Forestry Commission
Doc on www.princeedwardisland.ca dated July 7, 2023. 8 pages. Cites in detail the reasons for rejection of SustainAgro proposal, including uncertainties about impacts on  wildlife, soil health,  biodiversity.

Scaling Biochar to Restore Soils
By Joey O’Brien on esrag.org, Spring 2023   “…Forestry is also in dire straits on PEI..Based on the province’s most recent forest inventory data, approximately 75% of the standing timber crop is of insufficient grade for lumber production. That positions bioenergy as a savior for PEI’s forestry sector…Joining forces to scale up: SustainAgro, Sustainable Forest Alliance, EarthTech NC & COPC, Living Labs Now President of EarthTech Natural Capital, I got my first exposure to biochar in graduate school at the University of Toronto, testing biochar effects on soil and tree growth in Eastern Ontario as my doctoral research…I came to the lightbulb moment that PEI could be an ideal site for upscaling biochar production.In spring of 2022, under guidance from SustainAgro’s President of Eastern Operations Scott Travers, a PEI native, the company looked to the Maritime provinces for deployment of their first pyrolytic renewable diesel facility. [Mr. O’Brien is CEO of SustainAgro]

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SHADES OF CELLUFUEL?

– Cellufuel wants access to Nova Scotia’s “Inactive Forests” Post on nsforestnotes.ca August 2, 2017 “Cellufuel, the Nova Scotia business heavily backed by government funding that wants to produce synthetic fuels from forestry sources in Nova Scotia, has had to “shutter its plant and layoff staff” according to a news report by Devin Stevins in allnovascotia.com (July 27, 2017). (In 2013 Cellufuel forecast that it would be bringing in $200 million in annual revenue within 5-6 years.)”

Plan B/Biorefinery
Page on nsforestnotes.ca Posted Feb 23, 2020, Mar 2, 2020. last modified “Some of the history of Nova Scotia’s Plan B (what to do with “low value wood” if NP goes down). The focus of these items is on the Biorefinery and related concepts (Bioplastics, Biofuel, and Bioeconomy…) which have yet to be”

Richard Spinks did not invent Nova Scotia’s Plan B to replace the lost market for “low value wood”
Post on nsforestnotes.ca Mar 1, 2020. “The first versions of Plan B emerged when the Bowater mill closed in 2012. It is still alive and well, mostly behind closed doors.”

Nova Scotia L&F and Energy, take note: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission petitioned to protect investors against misleading claims about biofuels and the like
Post on Nsforestnotes.ca April 11, 2019

Are biofuels from Nova Scotia forests good for the environment? Show us the science!
Post on nsforestnotes.ca May 4, 2017 A recent opinion piece in the LocalXpress by Rod Badcock of BioApplied Innovation Pathways extols the potential benefits of a high-tech “bioeconomy” for Nova Scotia.

He cites Cellufuel in Brooklyn N.S, as “forging a new innovative path, developing a renewable diesel that can be made from wood chips (a byproduct from sawmills)” and notes that “The province has been supportive of this innovation”. Reducing carbon-emissions associated with petroleum fuels is cited as a major benefit.

Use of genuine by-products from sawmills to produce biofuels could reduce carbon emissions compared to use of petroleum products. However, that’s a slippery slope as we have seen in the case of our larger biomass energy plants which take in primary forest biomass when there are not enough wastes, or just because it’s cheaper….

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ON NS FOREST BIOMASS

Feedback sought on Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s Regional Risk Assessment for sourcing biomass from Nova Scotia’s harvestable forest land base 16Jun2024
Post on this website June 16, 2024

Feeding the Fire: Biomass and Nova Scotia’s Race for the Bottom
Linda Pannozzo in the Halifax Examiner, Mar 4, 2016. Some historical perspective; major issues remian in 2024.

Comment on Steenberg/NS NRR Forest Bioenergy Paper
Page on www.versicolor.ca/nstriad, posted Jan 21, 2023. Also available on this website as a PDF . ““New paper out on life cycle #GHG dynamics for different scenarios of forest-based bioenergy in Nova Scotia” So reads an Announcement on Twitter by James Steenberg, first author of the paper, on Jan 2, 2023. The tweet provides a link to: Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Forest Bioenergy Production at Combined Heat and Power Projects in Nova Scotia, Canada, by James W N Steenberg, Jérôme Laganière, Nathan W Ayer, Peter N Duinker, published in Forest Science Jan 2, 2023. Comment. The full paper is not publicly available on the publisher’s site. I learned about it from a Facebook Post on Jan 20, 2023 in which a PDF of the paper was also provided. I was asked to comment on the FB page…Steenbery et al. have introduced what seems to be a new ploy in the obscurification of GHG balances: the “different market/supply-chain assumptions around additionality and product substitution”. All additionality runs of the model for primary biomass (roundwood) have carbon parity times of 86 to 100 years. No surprise** But the corresponding “Product Substitution”. also referred to as BAU (Business as Usual) scenarios, are 4-9 years. Basically the latter means that “oh gosh we lost the Northern Pulp operation, and this is a substitution for that industry that would have been emitting GHGs anyway.”

Nova Scotia Biomass FAQ
A primer on the Nova Scotia biomass industry provided by Raymond Plourde of Ecology Action Centre, updated as of May 2021. Click here for PDF reviews history of biomass going back to 2009/the Wheeler Report. The document is posted on the Forest Defenders Alliance website.  “The Forest Defenders Alliance started as a transatlantic initiative to bring together NGOs fighting to expose the “climate fraud” of logging and burning forest wood for renewable energy.”

BDO Zone Initiative issues an “A-rating” for Southwest Nova Scotia as a location to develop “Bioeconomy Projects” 4Feb2024
by David Patriquin on versicolor.ca/nstriad “This latest “Bioeconomy” initiative would involve use of 550,000 green metric tons per year of sawmill residuals and by-product wood fibre from the forest sector. In the formal BDO Zone Report, cautions are expressed that are not amongst the highlights cited in PR lit about the Bioeconomy prospects for SW Nova Scotia and presumably are amongst the reasons that a higher rating (AAA or AA versus the A-rating given) was not realized, e.g. related to nutrient limitations, uncertainty about buy-in of private woodlot owners, sustainability concerns and associated public opinion.”

It’s worth recalling that concerns about Biomass Harvesting were a major factor leading  to the Independent (Lahey) Review of Forest Practices of 2018, although not addressed in the recommendations. View Plourde/EAC offer constructive analysis of The Report from the Independent Review and suggest ten things the government should do immediately, post on NSFN Sep 8, 2018 Said Plourde: “I asked Lahey why biomass was missing from his report at the stakeholder briefing and he gave two answers: 1. “We really didn’t hear that much about biomass during our consultation” (Wrong!) and 2. “We decided that we would not be looking at end uses” (What?) In the [Plourde’s] op-ed, Plourde pointedly reproduces Fig 1.2 from the Report Addendum, which summarizes in a bar graph the issues identified in submissions to The Review. “Biomass” was #1.”  So, Biomass Harvesting issues have not yet been well vetted/reviewed in Nova Scotia

NS Forest Biomass (2016-2022)
Related Post and pages on nsforestnotes.ca. This website offers “a record of goings-on in forests and forestry in Nova Scotia 21Jun2016-21Jun2022”

ON BIOMASS SUSTAINABILITY

Evaluating biomass sustainability: Why below-ground carbon sequestration matters
Naycari Forfora et al., 2024. In Journal of Cleaner Production
Abstract
Biomass, as a raw material, has been identified as a crucial component of decarbonization strategies to mitigate climate change. Decisions on which biomass should be targeted for different purposes are dependent on variables such as availability, chemical composition, and sustainability. Consumer perception often positions non-wood sources, such as bamboo, as environmentally preferable feedstocks for fiber-based product production. Yet, this perceived environmental benefit lacks robust scientific substantiation and standardized methodologies. This study addresses this gap by conducting a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of twelve biomass production systems encompassing tree plantations, dedicated crops, and agricultural residues for energy and bioproducts manufacture. The evaluated feedstocks include southern softwood, wheat straw, rice straw, rice husk, hemp hurd, sugarcane bagasse, switchgrass, biomass sorghum (United States), eucalyptus (Brazil), bamboo (China), and northern softwood (Canada). Incorporating a critical yet often overlooked factor, this LCA integrates the potential soil organic carbon sequestration (SOC) via below-ground biomass for each biomass type. This consideration significantly alters the estimated carbon intensity per ton of feedstock, potentially reshaping sustainability perceptions as certain systems emerge as carbon sinks. From a cradle-to-farm gate perspective, the assessed global warming potential for biomass production spans 12–245 kg CO2eq per oven-dry ton (ODt), factoring only anthropogenic emissions. However, when accounting for SOC sequestration, the range shifts to −170 to 228 kg CO2eq per ODt, highlighting the potential role of biomass to act as carbon sink systems. By illuminating the dynamic influence of SOC sequestration, this study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of biomass-related carbon emissions, shedding light on pathways to mitigate environmental impact.

Sustainability implications of the EU’s bioeconomy transition along global supply chains
Johannes Többen et al., In Journal of Cleaner Production. “…Our results show that, especially without further measures focusing on the circular use of biomass, the EU’s BE is likely not contributing to a general improvement in SDG indicators. Instead, there are major trade-offs between various SDGs. Firstly, between the goals of climate change mitigation, on the one hand, and preservation of ecosystems through the protection of natural land, especially forests, and water bodies on the other. The second major trade-off is between the EU’s goals of fostering the economic competitiveness and lowering the import dependency of fossil energy and food security especially in low income countries outside Europe.?

Assessing the sustainability of forest biomass harvesting practices in the southeastern US to meet European renewable energy goals
Hannah C.M. Bays et a., 2024, In Biomass and Bioenergy. “Biomass demand can be met, but long-term influence on forest structure is unknown.”

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Page posted on nsforestmatters.ca on Sep 14, 2024
by David Patriquin