Parkland refinery in Burnaby, British Columbia, becomes 1st in Canada to produce low-carbon aviation fuel

Photo: Parkland Corp.

Parkland Corp. announced Dec. 10 that it has successfully produced Canada’s first batch of low-carbon aviation fuel (LCAF) at its Burnaby Refinery.

With support from the government of British Columbia, Parkland said this is a major step toward delivering a Canadian-made solution that can help lower aviation-sector emissions, foster economic growth and support the low-carbon ambitions of British Columbia and Canada.

“Parkland is thrilled to demonstrate its leadership and proven expertise at the Burnaby Refinery by becoming the first company to produce LCAF in Canada,” said Ferio Pugliese, the senior vice president at Parkland. “Thanks to the vision and skill of our team, the leadership of the government of British Columbia and Air Canada, Canadians can see the possibility of flying with Canadian-made low-carbon fuel. This pilot project demonstrates how constructive incentives can spur Canadian production of LCAF.”

Using existing infrastructure, Parkland’s Burnaby Refinery has successfully produced approximately 101,000 liters (26,681 gallons) of LCAF by using nonfood-grade canola and tallow as core feedstocks.

With appropriate certification across the full supply chain, LCAF could be classified as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

This batch of fuel has been purchased by Air Canada.

“I want to congratulate Parkland on this groundbreaking initiative that aligns with our government’s climate goals and the urgency in which we must address climate change,” said Adrian Dix, the minister of energy and climate solutions. “British Columbia leads the way in incentivizing innovation to reduce emissions across many sectors, and Parkland continues to be an outstanding partner and role model for biofuel producers.”

Michael Rousseau, the president and CEO of Air Canada, added, “This represents our first commercial purchase of Canadian-produced LCAF. Currently, the Canadian airline industry is dependent on international imports of low-carbon fuels, making Parkland’s accomplishment a critical first step in creating domestic supply. Air Canada is actively pursuing efforts to mitigate its greenhouse-gas emissions and LCAF and SAF are a critical component of our multifaceted approach to reducing our impact on the environment and promoting environmental sustainability in our operations. We encourage all levels of government to support the development of a competitive LCAF or SAF industry and production market in Canada with balanced, supporting policies.”

LCAF has lower lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions than conventional jet fuel and can be used in existing aircraft without modification.

Parkland’s Burnaby Refinery is the first company to produce this fuel in Canada.

Through incentives and ongoing government support, this fuel can play an essential role in supporting Canada’s 2050 net-zero targets.