Smart-Sourced Fuel Products

Many different types of “waste” or under-used plant materials can be turned into value-added bioenergy fuel products.

This brochure, available in both English and French, focuses on such materials available in Manitoba, Canada, including agricultural residues, forestry residues, grassland plants and wetland plants. In particular, it outlines some of the fuel products IISD has developed with partners: fuel pellets, briquettes, cubes, biochar, biogas and fuel logs. It also discusses current market conditions, existing and potential users, socioeconomic and environmental benefits of this approach, and total biomass availability estimates for the province.

IISD analysis has shown that some of these non-traditional fuel options have advantages over traditional sources, including higher yield per hectare, faster maturity, comparable or better heating values and water quality benefits when nutrients are captured in harvested plant materials. An estimated 1 million gross tonnes of biomass residues and cattail can be found within 100 kilometres of both Winnipeg or Brandon, presenting an opportunity for further growth of these low-carbon fuel sources in Manitoba.