By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 6 -- The Canadian government will provide up to $1.5 billion in incentives over 9 years to producers of biofuels, Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper said July 5 in Strongfield, Sask.
"With leading-edge technology and abundant supplies of grains, oilseeds, and other feedstocks, Canada is uniquely positioned to become a global leader in the production of biofuels," Harper said.
In December 2006, Canada announced a regulation requiring a 5% average renewable content in gasoline by 2010. At that time, government officials said they are working to develop a similar requirement of 2% renewable content for diesel and heating oil by 2012.
It's estimated that about 3 billion l./year of renewable fuels will be needed to meet these requirements. Canada last year produced 400 million l. of renewable fuels, a government news release said.
"With the transportation sector accounting for more than a quarter of Canada's greenhouse gas output, increasing the renewable content in our fuel is going to put a real dent in emissions," Harper said.
