Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Clean technologies play an important role in helping Canada’s agriculture sector fight against climate change. Investing in clean technology initiatives that advance the bioeconomy can improve the bottom line for farmers, while lowering harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Today, Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, an investment of more than $1.4 million to support SixRing Inc.’s next phase of development to scale up production. These funds will be used for scaling the company’s low-energy biomass conversion process that converts agricultural waste into renewable fuels and sustainable advanced materials.
The bioeconomy holds tremendous potential for Canada, helping to reduce the country’s carbon footprint and creating new opportunities to grow the economy. Replacing non-renewable sources of fuel and energy with greener alternatives maximizes the use of agricultural resources and adds value to products once considered to be waste.
Under the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, this investment in SixRing’s proprietary technology will enable the company to significantly scale up its production through research and development activities. This phase of development will also include intensive testing of underused feedstock and improving production efficiencies to optimize the company’s technology. Utilizing this low carbon-intensity solution to manage agricultural waste will help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate additional farm revenues across the country.
Canada’s recently announced 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan highlights the actions needed to reduce emissions in various sectors of the economy. The steps taken by businesses to reduce their emissions will complement the investments and other measures that the Government of Canada is taking to fight climate change and strengthen Canada’s clean economy.
Quotes
“The agriculture sector is working hard to propel climate action to build a healthy future for Canada. Under the Agricultural Clean Technology program, this investment in SixRing Inc. will ensure our farmers grow their profits, protect our environment and continue to feed the world sustainably.”
– Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“Investments in clean technology are supporting farmers and agri-businesses to become more resilient in the face of extreme weather events. This investment in SixRing builds on work already underway to develop technologies that help major industries tackle climate change.”
– The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“This funding contribution will greatly assist in accelerating our SixRing crop-based feedstock research and process optimization. We look forward to supporting our agricultural industry by generating new avenues of revenue from these crop waste products while allowing for greater access to low carbon-intensity, non-food-based sustainable fuels including SAF, Diesel and Gasoline.”
– Clay Purdy, CEO and Chairman, SixRing Inc.
Quick facts
- Bioproducts are renewable products other than food and feed that are derived from agricultural, aquatic or forestry resources, or municipal wastes. They include: biochemicals, biofuels, bioenergy and biomaterials.
- The agricultural sector has a key role to play in the full development of Canada’s bioeconomy. Bioproducts also create valuable new opportunities for Canadian farmers, with the sector generating about $4.3 billion in sales each year.
- Through the Government of Canada’s recently expanded ACT Program, current pollution levels are anticipated to be reduced by up to 0.8 megaton as a result of fuel switching and decreased fuel consumption.
- With the Emissions Reduction Plan launched in March 2022, the Government of Canada has committed an additional $330 million to the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program, tripling the support for innovation and the development and adoption of clean technologies in the agricultural sector.
- This project and final funding are subject to negotiation of a contribution agreement.
