News
Incentive program for energy production from biomass introduced

August 21, 2008, Winnipeg, Man. –
Manitoba Hydro has introduced the Bioenergy Optimization Program to
encourage the use of sustainable biomass as a fuel for the production
of combined heat and power at customer sites.

August 21, 2008, Winnipeg, Man. – Manitoba Hydro has introduced the Bioenergy Optimization Program to encourage the use of sustainable biomass as a fuel for the production of combined heat and power at customer sites.

The new Power Smart program is aimed at more than 250 agricultural and industrial customers with access to readily available, low cost sources of biomass – such as livestock manure, waste wood, crop residues – plus continual needs for heat and power, and the capability to operate biomass to energy conversion systems.

“The program can provide significant incentives for participants to undertake feasibility studies and for the capital cost of the required equipment, up to a maximum of $1,250,000,” explained Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Bob Brennan. “Customers will be able to use biomass based materials to replace part of their electricity and natural gas supplied by Manitoba Hydro.”

The program is expected to produce annual load reduction savings of up to 10 megawatts and 78 gigawatt-hours of electricity and 3.8 million cubic metres of natural gas, and 65 580 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2017-2018.