June 8, 2007

Biofuels Opportunities for Producers Initiative funds three Manitoba projects

The Government of Canada is committed to establishing regulations that will require 5 percent average renewable fuel content in transportation fuels by 2010 and intends to regulate a 2 percent requirement for renewable content in diesel fuel and heating oil by 2012. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) wants to ensure that these targets are implemented in ways that result in the greatest possible benefit to the agricultural sector, including ownership of biofuel production facilities by agricultural producers.

The Biofuels Opportunities for Producers Initiative (BOPI), delivered through the industry councils in each province/territory that administer AAFC's Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) Program, was developed to help meet this goal. Individual project funding is capped at $300,000 and at least 25 per cent of the project cost must be provided by the industry, of which one third must come from producers.

BOPI funding totalling $209,250 is being provided through the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council to three Manitoba biofuels projects, including:

• $112,500 for Turtle Mountain Sustainable Ventures Corporation of Killarney to develop a feasibility study and business plan for the development of an ethanol plant capable of producing 100 million litres of ethanol a year;
  
  
• $55,500 for the Asessippi Parkland Economic Development Corporation of Russell to complete the pre-commercialization development and a business plan to build a 50 million-plus biodiesel facility in the Rural Municipality of Russell;
  
  
• $41,250 to Eastman Biofuels of Beausejour to develop a feasibility study and business plan for a four million litre biodiesel plant in Beausejour.

Opportunities for greater involvement in biofuel production facilities allow agricultural producers to participate in this emerging industry and increase their share of the benefits from renewable fuels production beyond delivering feedstock.