CGA proposes renewable gas target

The natural gas delivered to Canadian homes, transportation markets, businesses, and industry will soon include more renewable energy in it due to a new national renewable natural gas (RNG) target announced by the Canadian Gas Association.

Canada's natural gas utilities have set a target of 5% RNG-blended natural gas in the pipeline distribution system by 2025 and 10% by 2030. Nationally, the increased RNG content would result in 14 MT of greenhouse gas emission reductions per year by 2030, equivalent to removing 3 million passenger cars from the road.

"Canada's natural gas delivery industry recognises that increasing RNG content in the natural gas delivered to Canadian customers is a pathway towards meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," said Timothy M. Egan, President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association. "We look forward to continuing discussions with government, RNG technology companies and other stakeholders to ensure that they appreciate that the gas system is a mechanism for renewable energy delivery – in fact it is often the most efficient and cost-effective means to deliver renewables," said Egan.

In 2013, Canadian natural gas utilities leveraged the expertise of Natural Resources Canada's CanmetENERGY who developed with industry the RNG Technology Roadmap for Canada. The Roadmap has been an instrumental tool in assisting industry to better understand the market and technology needs required for Canada to realise its RNG potential.

In British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, natural gas distribution utilities are currently blending RNG into their gas pipeline systems. By the end of 2017, 11 RNG projects in Canada will be online producing enough renewable fuel to meet the energy needs of 51 000 homes.

Edited from press release by Angharad Lock

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/26052016/cga-proposes-renewable-gas-target-658/