Posted by Paul Morden www.theobserver.ca The Observer
Ontario farmers hope $2.4 million in new federal funding can help them grow an alternative fuel source for the Lambton Generating Station.
The money from the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program is being used by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association to study options for growing biomass crops, like miscanthus and switchgrass, to replace the coal Ontario will stop burning in power generating stations by 2014.
“There are a lot of fantastic opportunities on the horizon and some that could benefit Lambton County farmers,” said Kevin Forbes, president of the Lambton Federation of Agriculture.
“I know the OFA has been doing a lot of work with the research park here in Sarnia,” he said.
“They’re doing a lot of studies and trials on a small scale to figure out which crops can not only be grown here in southwestern Ontario, but can be used as an effective feedstock.”
The new federally-funded study will look at options for growing biomass crops and converting them to pellets or briquettes Ontario Power Generation can burn in its power stations.
About 900 acres of farmland will be used in the study, the OFA said.
“The lead crop that keeps coming up to the forefront, I believe, is miscanthus,” Forbes said.
The tall perennial grass can be harvested annually for several years.
“It does take, I believe, three years to establish itself to be a quality fuel crop,” Forbes added.
OFA president Bette Jean Crews said research is needed to determine which varieties of biofuel crops are the best alternative to coal.
“We’d like to know which strains work in that area, which grow best, harvest best and give the most BTUs,” she said.
Answering those questions will get Ontario farmers closer to planting crops and having biofuel ready for the power stations at the end of 2014, she said.
“So the time window right now is short,” Crews said.
Forbes said a few projects are already growing potential biofuel crops in and around Lambton County.
OFA’s role is to make sure farmers can plant alternative crops with some kind of confidence there will be a market and a decent rate of return on investment.
Chris Young, an Ontario Power Generation vice-president, said in Sarnia recently natural gas is the cheapest alternative to coal at the generating station in Courtright, although he added he hoped there will be a biofuels option.
Two of the station’s generating units will shut down later this year, leaving two to potentially be used beyond 2014 with an alternative fuel.
“Ultimately, it is a limited supply,” Crews said about natural gas.
Biofuels, she added, are something farmers can keep growing, year after year.
pmorden@theobserver.ca
Observer Article ID# 2652926
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