News Releases
An “A” Rating for Vegreville, Alberta to Support Biomass for Future Fuel Supply
October 1, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF), in partnership with Ecostrat, are proud to announce the designation of an “A” BDO Zone rating for wheat straw in Vegreville, Alberta. The Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone rating of “A”, marks Vegreville as an optimal area in the country for bio-based development.
A BDO Zone rating is a standards-based technical risk assessment of the biomass feedstock, supply chain, and infrastructure attributes of a region. This rating system is commonly used with respect to the feasibility and development potential of new biofuel, renewable chemical, biogas, bioproduct, or clean hydrogen plants.
A BDO Zone rating is a trusted award that helps developers and investors recognize regions that are “bio-manufacturing ready”. In the SAF context, it provides the opportunity to advance commercial biomass projects and buildout the regional supply chains necessary for stable and secure SAF production.
Approximately one year ago, C-SAF published its roadmap to decarbonizing the aviation and aerospace sector in Canada. It outlined the importance of agricultural residues, such as wheat straw, as a feedstock opportunity for SAF production. Understanding the risks associated with feedstock accounting, supply chain dynamics, and adequate infrastructure is necessary to assess the potential value of a feedstock within a given region. Therefore, C-SAF partnered with Ecostrat to conduct a BDO Zone rating for wheat straw in Vegreville, Alberta.
The full BDO Zone report for Vegreville, Alberta is linked here. C-SAF continues to push ahead in its advocacy and implementing action items that were highlighted in the C-SAF roadmap. More material outlining the progress of the roadmap will be shared in the coming months.
“While there are a variety of feedstocks that can produce SAF, many are on a medium-to-long term horizon to develop at-scale in Canada. Therefore, the immediate sourcing and use of agriculture residue feedstock, like wheat straw, is necessary to build our SAF supply chains today. Canada’s policy and programming should always be looking ahead and considering the long-term options that can support lower carbon intensive SAF production via processes like gasification and alcohol to jet. We need to take advantage of all opportunities on the table to ensure that our domestic SAF industry can be properly developed.”
- Geoff Tauvette, Executive Director, Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels
For more information:
Geoff Tauvette
Executive Director, C-SAF
gtauvette@c-saf.ca
About C-SAF
The Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the production and use of SAF in Canada by catalyzing a SAF ecosystem and regional value chains, promoting public policy, strategies and a roadmap, acting as a neutral and balanced technical expert, and engaging its members, and government and non-government stakeholders on SAF issues. C-SAF was created by a consortium of 60 domestic, international and cargo airlines operating in Canada who own and operate aviation fuel storage and distribution facilities at 11 international airports across Canada. C-SAF is comprised of 110 members who represent key industry leaders that are committed to advancing SAF in Canada including airlines, fuel and feedstock suppliers, technology providers, OEMs, airports, academia and others.
An opportunity for biofuels to take flight
April 17, 2024 – Ottawa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF) welcomes the federal government’s newly announced biofuels program in Budget 2024. The program recognizes the need to accelerate the production of sustainable aviation fuel and use our raw materials for a truly made in Canada solution to reduce emissions from the aviation sector and produce high-in-demand products at home, so the value chain and the jobs it creates are kept domestic.
Canada’s sustainable aviation ecosystem has long been calling on the federal government to take bold action to incentivize production of sustainable aviation fuel in Canada. At the moment, SAF usage remains the only viable path for aviation to meet net-zero commitments by 2050, yet Canada currently produces no meaningful quantities of SAF. All the conditions are ripe for Canada to be a leader in SAF production and today’s announcement is a step in the right direction.
However, more leadership is needed on the policy and regulatory front to ensure Canada remains competitive on SAF production. Beyond the measures introduced in biofuels program in Budget 2024, C-SAF continues to call on the government to adopt further measures to ensure that Canadian investments in SAF production are competitive with those in the US where they benefit from incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.
“The revised biofuels program is a positive step forward in ensuring Canada’s clean energy leadership and helping the aviation sector stay competitive. By using our resources and skills to produce Canadian SAF, we can create good jobs while lowering GHG emissions for a hard to decarbonize industry,” said Geoff Tauvette, Executive Director of the Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels. “The entire aviation ecosystem, supporting 633,000 jobs and $60 billion of economic activity, is ready to work with the government on the implementation of this program to ensure policies result in robust SAF production in Canada, meet our environmental targets, and ensure the long-term viability of the Canadian aviation and aerospace sectors. C-SAF is looking forward to seeing what other measures the government will take to spur the production of SAF and other biofuels in Canada.”
For more information:
Geoff Tauvette
Executive Director, C-SAF
gtauvette@c-saf.ca
About C-SAF
The Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to accelerate the commercial production and deployment of SAF in Canada by catalyzing the ecosystem and value chains, promoting public policy, strategies and a roadmap, acting as a neutral and balanced technical expert, and serving as the voice of its members to government and non-government stakeholders on SAF issues. C-SAF was created by a consortium of 60 domestic, international and cargo airlines operating in Canada who own and operate aviation fuel storage and distribution facilities at 11 major airports across Canada. C- SAF is comprised of about 100 members who represent key industry leaders that are committed to advancing SAF production and use in Canada.
Aviation industry calls on Liberal government to incentivize Canadian production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels in Budget 2024
February 6th, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON – Canada’s sustainable aviation ecosystem, including airlines, airport authorities, aerospace manufacturers, and industry groups, have written to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland seeking bold action in Budget 2024 to incentivize the Canadian production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
SAF is a low carbon alternative to conventional jet fuel; SAF usage is the most viable path for aviation to meet net zero commitments by 2050. However, in the absence of a comprehensive national SAF policy and incentives, Canada currently produces no meaningful quantities of SAF, despite significant sustainable resource and skills advantages.
Stakeholders from across the SAF value chain are requesting the federal government adopt the following recommendations for inclusion in Budget 2024 to incentivize domestic SAF production in Canada:
- Implementation of refundable investment tax credits at a rate of 50% for SAF production facilities.
- Introduction of a Production Tax Credit (PTC) with a ten-year horizon competitive with the one in the United States.
- If a PTC is not possible, Canada should introduce a commodity price contract for difference or revenue certainty mechanism to support SAF production and boost its uptake.
- Allowing for a book and claim mechanism for SAF use in Canada.
“This is a critical time for the aviation industry when it comes to decarbonization, and Canada has an opportunity to create a landscape for SAF production, which will provide economic and environmental benefits countrywide” said Geoff Tauvette, Executive Director of the Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels. “Domestic SAF incentives are essential to ensure Canada’s airlines and aerospace industries are positioned to be competitive internationally, and to meet ambitious emissions reduction goals for the aviation sector.”
The Canadian aviation ecosystem stands ready to work with the federal government to create economic opportunities that will contribute towards building a decarbonized country, and this starts with implementing a federal policy framework to build a domestic SAF supply chain that will help achieve lower GHG emissions in the aviation industry.
“Air travel is essential to keep Canadians connected to their loved ones, to business opportunities, and to the world,” said Jeff Morrison, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada. “Despite ongoing initiatives by airlines to decarbonize, access to a domestic supply of SAF is the most critical element required to meet net-zero targets. Canadian SAF production is not only essential for decarbonization but represents a significant economic and export opportunity for Canada.”
The open letter can be found below.
For more information: Josie Sabatino; jsabatino@summa.ca, 250-649-6856
About C-SAF
The Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to accelerate the commercial production and deployment of SAF in Canada by catalyzing the ecosystem and value chains, promoting public policy, strategies, and a roadmap, acting as a neutral and balanced technical expert, and serving as the voice of its members to government and non-government stakeholders on SAF issues. C-SAF was created by a consortium of 60 domestic, international, and cargo airlines operating in Canada who own and operate aviation fuel storage and distribution facilities at 11 major airports across Canada. C-SAF is comprised of more than 110 members who represent key industry leaders who are committed to advancing SAF production and use in Canada.
About NACC
The National Airlines Council of Canada represents Canada’s largest national and international passenger air carriers: Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP, and WestJet. It promotes safe, sustainable, accessible, and competitive air travel by advocating for the development of policies, regulations, and legislation to foster a world-class transportation system.
Click here to view the Open Letter to the Minister of Finance
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C-SAF seeks to facilitate and accelerate the commercial deployment of SAF in Canada.
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