Pond Biofuels Canada is developing a new algae growth system

Pond Biofuels is developing a new algae growth system that will use CO2 emissions from smoke stacks to grow biomass, which can then be converted into biodiesel, bioplastics or act as a substitute for renewable coal. With support from the Ontario, Canada province, Pond Biofuels aims to get a full scale commercial facility into operation at St Marys Cement by 2014.

 About one tonne of the algae will be able to produce 100 litres of biodiesel and production of the algae should help to reduce Ontario’s pollution costs, which currently amount to about Can$4 billion (€3.066 billion) a year.

Steve Martin, CEO of Pond Biofuels, says: "Solving the problem of industrial emissions requires industry, government, technology and capital all working together. We have that here, with Pond Biofuels providing the technology, St. Marys as our commercialisation partner, angel investors in the Biomaterials Investment Group and support from the Province of Ontario. Going forward, Pond's made-in-Ontario technology can be applied to other essential industries, like steel, power generation and resource extraction." Read more ...

Canada's renewable energy future looks bright

Avrim Lazar the president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) believes that with the right government support that Canada could replace nine nuclear reactors with renewable energy from the Canadian Forest Industry. "We could easily triple our clean energy output using waste products from our mills," says Lazar.  "Already we are self-generating about two thirds of our energy needs and about a half dozen of our mills are now net exporters of energy to provincial grids. Further developing this significant source of green energy needs to be a larger part of governments' energy development plans" Read more ...