Abstract
The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) provides an informative case study of bioenergy development, because it relies heavily on fossil fuels but has enormous bioenergy potential. We have examined the potential contribution of bioenergy to reducing BC's GHG emissions. The approach of combining life cycle assessment and economic evaluation to prioritize options should be applicable generally. Biomass availability, including forestry resources, agricultural waste and municipal solid waste, is estimated. Through simplified Life Cycle Assessment, GHG reduction potential of biogas, bioethanol, biofuels from hydrothermal liquefaction, and district heating are quantified, along with the associated GHG reduction costs. The analysis shows that existing biomass resources could yield 110–176 PJ per year, reducing GHG emissions by 13.0–15.7%. Bioenergy from waste streams is already cost-effective and should be prioritized in the short term. However, bioenergy from forestry resources, especially conversion to liquid biofuels, is prohibitively expensive, with GHG reduction cost exceeding CAD $300/t CO2-eq. The total extra cost required to achieve full utilization of BC's biomass resources is estimated as 0.8–2.4 billion dollars. To close the cost gaps between bioenergy and fossil fuels, both technological improvement and external cost adjustment through measures like carbon taxation will be needed.
•Utilization of available biomass in BC could lead to 15.7% GHG reduction.•Bioenergy from waste streams is already economically competitive.•Bioenergy from forestry resources is not cost-effective at current carbon tax level.•Bioenergy deployment strategy based on GHG reduction cost is recommended.