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Bio-Energy

 

Industry Snapshot

The bioenergy industry in Kamloops is experiencing rapid growth.  Kamloops is home to the first geothermal community in Canada, Sun Rivers Community Development Corporation, and is experiencing great success with plenty of room for growth.

Bioenergy is the renewable energy used to produce electricity, heat and bio-products production.  The more common types of bioenergy being used in Kamloops right now are geothermal energy and using wood waste to produce energy. 

The City of Kamloops is home to some significant bioenergy projects and initiatives.  With its easy access to wood waste, the pulp and paper industry seems a natural fit for gasification systems that produce biofuels, for consumption or for sale. 

Kamloops is the proud home of Nexterra Energy Corps research and development facility.  Nexterra develops, manufactures and delivers advanced gasification systems that enable customers to self-generate clean, low costs heats and power at industrial and institutional facilities using waste fuels.  some local companies that have benefitted from their technology include Domtar and Tolko Industries Ltd.  

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has brought their EQuilibrium Sustainable Housing Initiative to the City of Kamloops.  It is a net-zero house that aims at producing as much energy as it consumes by using a variety of solar energy and geothermal energy.

This national Sustainable Housing Initiative brings both public and private sectors together to develiop eco-friendly homes designed to be energy-efficient and have a low environmental impact.  This developer team is the first and only in Canada that involves university programs and a building association, but it is the 17th year that TRU and the CHBA have partnered together for a local project.

 

Competitive Advantages

Kamloops is prime to include bioenergy as a primary "pillar" for ongoing economic growth.  There is a geographic advantage with regard to proximity to several sawmills, which gives a competitive wood waste cost incentive.  Interest in our community also stems from the available beetle kill wood and chips/pulp in our region that can support feedstock requirements.  This raw wood waste could support future biorefinery production needs.

  tolko gasification plant.jpg 
Established in 1999, the Interior Science Innovation Council (ISIC) is a not-for-profit society working to promote, develop and enhance opportunities for using science and technology as a catalyst for commercialization and also creating and promoting a culture of knowledge, awareness and entrepreneurial excitement in the fields of science and technology.  It provides many services, for both entrepreneurs as well as industry and the region, some of which are providing leadership and direction, sector analysis, research on key regional issues, hosting special events, increasing networking opportunities, outlining Science and Technology available funding and direction for management.

 

Incentives

BC Government Direction

The Innovative Clean Energy Fund ($25 million each year) has been created to further establish BC as a world leader in alternative energy and power technology such as solar, geothermal, bioenergy.  The Fund is used to showcase BC technologies to the world and foster solutions to BC's energy challenges.  $10 million to support production of liquid biofuels in BC (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared with petroleum-based fuels.  Additionally there is the $25 million BC and Western Economic Partnership Agreement to support research and develop clean energy and environmental technologies, which accelerate investment attraction to BC.

The BC and Canadian governments are partnering to invest $89 million for hydrogen fuel cell fuelling stations and the world's first fleet of 20 fuel cell busses.

Canadian Government Direction

The Canadian Government provides financial resources to support R&D in advanced energy and clean technology.  The Eco Energy for Renewable Power Program encourages investment in energy conservation and renewable energy projects, with a total commitment of $1.48 billion.

The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program is a federal tax incentive designed to encourage research and development in Canada.  Qualifying non-Canadian companies are eligible to receive tax credits of 20 per cent of qualified expenditures.  The BC Government adds a ten per cent tax credit for qualifying Canadian and non-Canadian corporations that conduct R&D in British Columbia.

The National Research Council of Canada's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) provides a range of technical and business-oriented advisory services to support growth-oriented Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises.  This can include non-repayable contributions to Canadian firms interested in research to develop their services, products and proccesses.  In 2007-2008, approximately $13 million was available to firms in BC.

Venture Capital

British Columbia offers tax credits of 30 per cent to qualified resident investors who provide venture capital to small businesses conducting R&D on proprietary technologies.  The investment must be made through a venture capital corporation or directly to an eligible business corporation.  Early-stage ventures are also eligible for support from the BC Government's $90 million BC Renassance Capital Fund.

Other

British Columbia's International Financial Activity Act (IFAA) allows incorporated Canadian companies with permanent establishments in BC to recoup up to 100 per cent of provincial corporate income taxes on international income from patents related to wind, solar and tidal power generation. 

 

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