Alberta Research Council Inc. (ARC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have teamed up to create an online Biofuels Quality Registry, created as part of the Climate Change Plan for Canada government initiative in 2003.

The registry, based on ASTM D6751 standards, allows biodiesel producers and end-users to sign up to have their products tested for quality. The Web site also acts as a national database where analysis results of candidate biofuels are entered and accessed. The registry will help ensure that end-users have a quality product and producers have an option for quality control.

"Biofuels are a crucial and innovative part of our efforts to ensure a clean environment in the years to come and achieve our ultimate objectives regarding climate change," NRCan Minister John Efford said. "We are pleased to work with ARC on this project to make clean alternative fuels a viable alternative for producers and end-users."

A Biofuels Technical Steering Committee with members from ARC, NRCan and Environment Canada will approve all applications for incentives. NRCan and Environment Canada will also use the collected information to support research and policy activities.
NRCan is offering a partial rebate on the cost of the analysis, which averages $1,400, to encourage small- and medium-sized producers and end-users to have biodiesel analyzed on a regular basis. It is a two-year program with $100,000 available per year. "From our point of view, we wanted to ensure that people were sending in samples for quality control and give them an incentive to do that," said Melanie Nadeau of NRCan's Canmet Energy Technology Center.
For more information or to use the registry, visit www.biofuels.arc.ab.ca.
-Staff Report