1. Daryl Domitruk Eric Liu Matt Wiens
How do Agriculture and Renewable Energy Intersect on the Issue of GHG Emissions?
Daryl Domitruk
Eric Liu
Matt Wiens

2. Adopting renewable energy on farm – equipment
Renewable fuels, engine electrification, barn heating, grain drying, water pumps
Technical advances regularly coming to market – ongoing business practice
Cost and available infrastructure are primary considerations

4. Ag fossil fuel emissions
Marked fuel used in agriculture represents about 3% of total provincial emissions incudes horsepower for tillage, seeding, harvest
Fuel used for heating barns, farm buildings (natural gas, propane),
Transportation of grain and livestock with non-marked fuel
Grain drying and storage

5. Adopting renewable energy on farm – energy conserving farm practices
Reduced tillage
Reduced draught
Bio-control, bio-tillage

6. Adopting renewable energy on farm – small wind
Diversification Centres/PAMI
Not cost-effective or reliable in these examples

7. Adopting renewable energy on farm – ground source
Well established – homes, shops

8. Adopting renewable energy on farm – solar
Gaining in synch with overall growth in popularity - still limited

9. Adopting renewable energy on farm – biogas
Testing conducted on pig and dairy operations - PAMI
Technically work but, costly and complex e.g. fire code
Electricity COP not competitive
Food processing - yes
Not a solution to P

10. Adopting renewable energy on farm – biomass
Displacing fossil energy - MBESP: $3.5 M to 90 projects incl 40 colony conversions from coal.
Successful where feasible – need right supply and quality of biomass; skills and licenses to operate boilers etc.

11. Adopting renewable energy on farm – biomass
10+ biomass suppliers
5+ boiler manufacturers
40 biomass heating installations
50,000 tonnes annual biomass fuel consumption
Testing biomass for grain drying (PAMI)

12. Biomass fuel supply chain
By-product
Oat, sunflower hulls
Flax shive
Cattails (IISD)
Wood pellets
Waste paper cube
Proximity is key
Providence College
PAMI

13. Summary Displacement of coal underway
Reasonable alternatives built around development of practical biomass combustion technology and fuel supply chain
Other renewable sources slower rate of development
Ongoing call for rural natural gas service to add to or displace hydro electricity

14. Practicalities of family farms
Large output per unit labour due to mechanization and constant effort to max ROI
Must focus labour and capital on tasks directly affecting production and marketing; secondary tasks such as producing energy may be a challenge to incorporate.
However, farms are very diverse and many are considering advanced approaches to energy supply.

15. However...there’s a conundrum in the link between energy and GHG’s
Most emissions are from sources outside the direct control of farmers and ranchers.
Farmers and ranchers can’t innovate and adapt their way out of the fundamental processes of agro-ecosystems.

16. Carbon Cycle

17. Nitrogen Cycle

19. 29% of MB GHG emissions from farms and ranches

20. Carbon Cycle

21. Nitrogen Cycle

22. Ag input manufacturing emissions
Production of nitrogen fertilizer used in MB could be over 3.5% of provincial emissions
Production of P, K and S fertilizers, pesticides and production of farm equipment have associated GHG emissions, but not all produced within Manitoba.

25. Produce N fertilizer with renewable energy through Haber-Bosch process: need a source of H
Current: Natural gas (CH4) reforming to produce H2 for NH3 production
Renewable H2 options
Electrolysis of water using hydro and/or wind power
Biomass gasification for syngas (CH4)
Anaerobic digestion for biogas (CH4)
Challenge: high cost compared to N.G.

26. Farm enterprise choice and farm practices influence GHG emissions

29. Potential for agriculture to assist emission reductions in other sectors
C sequestration by using natural fibres (e.g., hemp, flax) for composites (e.g., bus panels, building products)
Supply feedstock to next-generation biofuels (e.g., cellulosic ethanol) and biochemicals (e.g., bio succinic acid)

30. Carbon Benefits of Biomaterials
Reference: Borland, 2014

32. Intersection of Renewable Energy and GHG Emissions in agriculture: Conclusions
Economically viable renewable energy sources will continue to be adopted
Farms and ranches will continue to supply of products and by-products to fuel other sectors
Significant reductions in overall GHG emissions from agriculture await more fundamental change e.g