A new study, commissioned by Énergir and conducted by the consortium of WSP Canada and Deloitte, figured out that two-thirds of natural gas in Québec will be generated from renewable sources by 2030.
The other highlights of the study are the following:
The technical and economic potential by 2030 is substantial and RNG consumption could reach 66 per cent of the current consumption of natural gas by that date.
The technical and economic potential is the proportion of organic waste that can economically be transformed into RNG under the current market conditions, but without taking into account all aspects of the business environment, which will determine whether a project will be completed (e.g. competition over organic waste).
By 2030, all regions of Québec present a technical and economic potential for RNG production using local organic waste (existence of a forest industry, agricultural area, etc.).
Reaching the full technical and economic RNG production potential will depend on key factors such as the implementation of an environment favourable to the emergence of RNG projects, and the concerted effort of local players.
With regard to greenhouse gases (GHGs), reaching these volumes of RNG by 2030 by replacing natural gas produced outside Québec would equate to taking 1.5 million cars off the road per year, thereby preventing more than 7.2 Mt of GHG emissions.
In a world increasingly reeling under non-renewable energy sources, this news comes as a welcome step.
