Coordinating Ag Biomass quantification and valorization efforts requires a research hub connected to Bioeconomy businesses’ needs.

The Biomass Canada Cluster (BMC) is funded through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience program and industry partners. The total value of the cluster is $12.3 million over 5 years (2018-2023), with funds from both AAFC and industry partners (about $4 million). Biomass Canada seeks to fit aspects of Canadian agriculture into the growing Canadian bioeconomy. BMC’s mandate is to revitalize the economic prospects of Canada’s agricultural sector and to commoditize ‘ag-waste’ based biomass for bioenergy and bioproducts, while mitigating and adapting to a changing climate. This cluster is focused on de-risking and commoditizing agricultural biomass through the use of complete value chains for rural and remote applications, using emerging technologies that improve the profitability of production, pre-processing, handling and storage.

The activities of Biomass Canada fall into three general areas:

Theme 1: Biomass and bioenergy for northern latitudes – Increased knowledge regarding utilization of crop residues and other agricultural production currently without purpose, such as greenhouse biomass waste, for combined heat and power generation, and improved techniques for their use in northern-Canadian locations. Two Activities are included in this Theme.

Theme 2: Optimization of biomass production – Increased understanding of the best methods to enhance biomass crop yield, as well as improved technologies and processes for converting biomass into various products, including biofuels and associated high value bioproducts, such as biochar and hydrochar. There are five Activities involved in this Theme.

Theme 3: Biomass preprocessing – Better knowledge of business models and supply chain logistics for biomass and bioproducts. Three Activities are included in this Theme.

Theme 4: Knowledge dissemination – Transfer the knowledge, technology, know‐how, benefits and research results to the agricultural operators in remote and rural communities in Canada via de‐risking decisions through knowledge and evidence‐based communication products and training events of the Cluster. One Activity is included in this Theme.

Overall, the Biomass Canada Cluster will play an important role in integrating the Canadian agricultural sector into the developing Canadian bioeconomy, leading to job creation, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a more sustainable and climate change-resilient agricultural sector in Canada. The detailed information of each Activity can found here.

Participants at the September 2019 Biomass Canada Workshop in Ottawa