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f the renewable and low-carbon gas industry continues to grow, British Columbia could produce up to 50 petajoules of renewable and low-carbon gases annually by 2030—and up to 440 PJ by 2050, which is about double what currently flows through FortisBC’s gas infrastructure to British Columbians.
That’s the word from a joint study, commissioned by the government of British Columbia, FortisBC Energy Inc. and BC Bioenergy Network, which reviewed the potential production of renewable and low-carbon gases using only B.C. resources by 2030 and 2050 and looked at overall potential production in Canada and the United States.
The 50,000-plus kilometers of transmission and distribution lines in FortisBC’s gas system could also be used to move growing amounts of renewable and low-carbon gases instead of conventional natural gas, thus significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the building, industrial and transportation sectors, the utility said.
“As the first utility in North America to provide RNG to our customers over a decade ago, we’ve been on a journey to transform B.C.’s renewable and low-carbon gas sector,” Joe Mazza, vice president, gas supply and resource development at FortisBC, said in a news release.
“Understanding the enormous potential the province has to produce renewable and low-carbon gases shows a clear path forward to scale up the decarbonization of our gas system,” he added.
Mazza also noted that, as a utility that also delivers clean hydroelectricity, FortisBC is excited to advance a decarbonized gas system that works alongside the electric system to maintain a provincial energy system and meet the needs of British Columbians efficiently and affordably.
In 2018, both the government of British Columbia and FortisBC set a target of 15% of the gas supply being renewable or low carbon by 2030.
The company said it tripled its supply of RNG through 2021 and expects to, at minimum, triple its supply again in 2022. Its vision for renewable and low-carbon gas is to have roughly 75% of its total gas supply be renewable or low carbon by 2050 to meet the province’s 80% GHG reduction target.