BBI Biofuels Canada is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the 2009 Atlantic BIOEnergy Conference from Sept. 21-23, 2009 at the Delta Beauséjour in Moncton, New Brunswick. This year’s conference themed, “Rising in the East,” builds on the highly successful previous conferences held by the Atlantica Centre for Energy. Highlighting the regional opportunities and challenges in developing Atlantic Canada's bioenergy industry, the 2009 event welcomes forward-thinking delegates from the forestry, agriculture and petroleum industries, as well as government and academia.
Atlantic Canada’s energy sector accounts for approximately 10 per cent of the region’s gross domestic product, representing more than 12,000 jobs. Despite difficult economic challenges, many drivers within the bioenergy industry exist to promote progress such as climate change, diversity and security of our energy supply, world crude oil prices, rapid technological innovation, and increased awareness and public interest about societal sustainability. While the bioenergy industry may be still in development, Atlantic Canada has the potential for swift growth in the renewable energy industry, especially due to its large forest industry. Already, a number of biofuels and biomass projects, programs and policies are underway to reduce emissions and promote sustainable, renewable practices.
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In January, the Atlantica BioEnergy Task Force released a report outlining a number of actions that could be taken to implement renewable energy technologies in the Atlantica Region’s forest products industry. The study, compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers, recommends 15 actions that should be taken in the areas of sustainable forest management, biomass management, energy policy, education, research and development and technology implementation.
In January, the province of New Brunswick also issued its first-ever biomass policy, the Crown Land Forest Biomass Harvesting Policy, which aims to reduce energy costs, open up forest market opportunities and support economic development initiatives. The policy will make nearly one million cubic metres of tree tops, twigs and branches available for power generation across the province.
More recently, the federal government invested $4 million in the Atlantic Energy Gateway Initiative, a program aimed at encouraging the development of clean and renewable energy across Atlantic Canada. The initiative brings together federal and provincial governments, private and public utilities, private sector and energy providers to develop a regional strategy to establish projects that use biomass, solar, wind, and tidal power.
The primary focus of the event includes biomass feedstock yields and new technologies, forestry-related opportunities and challenges, and an analysis of government incentives and policy that promote the industry. “Rising in the East,” emphasizes the positive initiatives that will be showcased in Atlantic region that encourage open communication between industries and governments to promote a sustainable future for renewable energy.
For more information on the conference, sponsorship and/or trade show opportunities, and poster submissions, visit www.atlanticbioenergy.ca.