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Assessing Community Bioenergy Development Potential in Northern and Remote Indigenous Communities

Date

2024-09-11

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

ORCID

0000-0003-0353-3649

Type

Thesis

Degree Level

Masters

Abstract

Many rural and remote Indigenous communities in northern Canada’s boreal forest zone are not connected to the continental energy grid or are ‘end-of-line’ communities and suffer from energy insecurity due to unreliable energy supplies and high energy costs. Biomass, a significant renewable energy source, holds potential for addressing the energy insecurity of these northern communities. Though different tools and techniques have been used to assess bioenergy potential in different parts of the world, a detailed framework, and step-by-step processes for assessing bioenergy potential in remote northern communities based on local socio-economic and environmental settings are limited. Hence, the purpose of this research is to assess community bioenergy potential (CBP) by advancing an assessment framework in a northern context. This study focuses on Southend, a Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) community in north-east Saskatchewan, to investigate the potential for community bioenergy development from forest residues. By applying an integrated framework of CBP assessment, this study provides a comprehensive evaluation of bioenergy potential in Southend, considering all the technical, economic, environmental, and sustainability aspects crucial to assess in the early stages of community energy planning. Using spatial tools and energy conversion models, available biomass resources and their energy potential have been estimated under various scenarios. The results reveal a significant biomass resource base in Southend, yielding an estimated 132,617 odt of forest residues annually. Energy production potential varies across scenarios, with gasification technology offering the highest output at 329,022 MWh, benefiting from the high conversion efficiency and high heating value of biomass. Biomass availability within 20 km of the community and 5 km of roads is deemed sufficient to operate bioenergy facilities exceeding community needs. The study also evaluates the environmental benefits of bioenergy, particularly its potential to reduce GHG emissions. The results emphasize the importance of using high-efficient conversion technologies not only to maximize energy yields but also to minimize environmental impacts. Overall, by prioritizing efficient conversion technologies and optimizing biomass supply-demand dynamics, Southend can strengthen community energy security and contribute to Canada’s goal of emission reduction as a global climate change mitigation initiative for a resilient future.

Description

Keywords

Biomass, Community energy, Energy potential, Forest residue, Indigenous community, Northern Canada

Citation

Degree

Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Department

Geography and Planning

Program

Geography

Part Of

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DOI

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