Ontario budget calls for renewable diesel mandate discussions

OTTAWA—Ontario shippers, truckers and logistics professionals are going to start hearing a lot more about a renewable diesel mandate.

Part of the Ontario government’s budgetary wooing of the provincial NDP involved announcing consultations on a renewable diesel mandate.

The aim is to set a renewable content standard for diesel and consider the carbon intensity for any qualifying fuel.

Ultimately, this is welcome news for biofuels producers. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) is hoping for a two per cent renewable content standard in the Ontario diesel fuel market and a carbon intensity of at least a 50 per cent improvement over a life-cycle basis.

The CRFA says these suggestions would require at least 160 million litres of renewable product be blended in Ontario and could create the equivalent greenhouse gas reduction of removing 100,000 vehicles from Ontario’s roads.

“Clean-burning, renewable fuels reduce harmful greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions, making a real difference for the health of our climate and ourselves. As such, these important consultations should be initiated as soon as possible,” said CRFA President W. Scott Thurlow. “Biodiesel is a proven, high-performance fuel that is being used across North America. In fact, trucks entering Ontario from western provinces and the United States are already running on biodiesel blends. This is even more reason to get to work on a mandate so that Ontario keeps pace with its neighbours and starts enjoying the economic benefits of domestic renewable fuels production where it matters most, here at home.”