Warwick, Quebec – The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, was on site at Coop Agri-Énergie Warwick, the first agricultural cooperative dedicated to the production of renewable energy in Quebec, to highlight an investment of up to $758,243, which supported the development of a cooperative agricultural biomethanizer plant.
Minister Bibeau highlighted the investment while touring the new eco-friendly plant, which brings together a dozen farmers from the Arthabaska MRC who produce renewable natural gas (RNG) from slurry and dairy cattle manure mixed with residual organic matter from surrounding farm businesses. Coop Agri-Énergie Warwick expects that the new facility, which is currently in the start-up phase, will produce 2.3 million cubic meters of RNG each year. As a result, the organization estimates annual reductions of approximately 6,500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or the equivalent of removing 1,600 vehicles from the road.
Minister Bibeau highlighted the investment as an example of the kinds of projects the Government of Canada is seeking for the new $165.7-million Agricultural Clean Technology Program, which opened to applicants on June 16.
This new program provides farmers and agri-businesses with access to funding to help develop and adopt the latest clean technologies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhance their competitiveness. It will prioritize projects in three areas including the bioeconomy, which employs technologies that use agricultural waste and by-products for energy and bio-product generation.
The new program has two funding streams:
- The Adoption Stream supports the purchase and installation of proven clean technologies and solutions that show meaningful reductions in GHG emissions.
- The Research and Innovation Stream supports pre-market innovation including research, development, demonstration and commercialization of agricultural clean technologies.
The Government of Canada's strengthened climate plan supports the development and adoption of cleaner practices and technologies that further reduce GHG emissions and protect the land, water and air that farmers depend on for their long-term sustainability.
Source : Government of Canada