Two B.C. companies are getting close to $150,000 each from Ottawa and Victoria to help them develop technologies to turn agricultural waste into energy.
Diacarbon Energy Inc. will receive $142,575 under the Canada-B.C. Agri-Innovation Program to develop its process for making biocoal from chicken manure and waste from mushroom farming.
It's just one of the fuels that Diacarbon can use in its mobile biomass processing plant to create biocoal, also called biochar. It can also use wood waste from lumber mills and logging operations.
Biochar can be used either as a soil conditioner or as a fuel that is similar to coal but burns more cleanly because it has none of the heavy metals contained in coal.
GreenScene AgriTek Inc. in Chilliwack is also receiving $146,600 in funding under the Agri-Innovation Program.
The company has developed a process for treating used horse bedding from stables for reuse. The recent funding will be used to develop a process for turning this bedding into fuel pellets for use in the greenhouse industry.
"Projects like these demonstrate the opportunity for agriculture to play a role in the development of new energy solutions and responsible environmental practices," said Peter Levelton, chairman of the Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF).
"The IAF is proud to connect the B.C. agriculture sector with funding to make these kinds of partnerships in innovation possible."
