Manitoba’s Biomass Fuel: Protecting our environment and saving us money

This policy brief from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that biomass is a viable and abundant renewable energy source in Manitoba. It highlights the potential for both traditional and ecological biomass to replace fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide environmental benefits such as nutrient removal from landscapes. The document calls for the Government of Manitoba to support bioenergy markets through financial investment, infrastructure development, and research into high-value bioproducts.

• Manitoba possesses significant biomass resources, with over 5 million tonnes available annually from sources including agriculture, forestry residue, marginal lands, and roadside ditches. However, the current infrastructure is insufficient to meet a demand for 50,000 tonnes of biomass per year, and the market lacks effective mechanisms to connect producers, suppliers, and consumers.
• Harvesting ecological biomass, specifically cattail from roadside ditches and water retention sites, offers environmental advantages beyond carbon reduction by removing phosphorus that causes algal blooms. Removing 25 per cent of harvestable cattail biomass and 22 per cent of crop residue could remove between 2,000 and 5,000 tonnes of phosphorus from the landscape.
• While Manitoba currently uses biomass primarily for compost, livestock bedding, or as shredded/pelletized fuel, there are opportunities to adopt higher-value technologies used in the US and Canada, such as anaerobic digestion for biogas, gasification for ethanol fuel, and the creation of building materials.
• The Government of Manitoba is urged to enable a high-value bioeconomy by providing financial support for pellet processing and new technologies, investing in 'Green Infrastructure' for water retention and drainage, and funding research into high-value bioproducts and green natural gas.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2018). Manitoba’s Biomass Fuel: Protecting our environment and saving us money. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba-biomass-fuel-protecting-environment-saving-money.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Manitoba’s Biomass Fuel: Protecting our environment and saving us money. 2018. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba-biomass-fuel-protecting-environment-saving-money.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Manitoba’s Biomass Fuel: Protecting our environment and saving us money |date=2018 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba-biomass-fuel-protecting-environment-saving-money.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2018manitobas, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Manitoba’s Biomass Fuel: Protecting our environment and saving us money}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2018}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/manitoba-biomass-fuel-protecting-environment-saving-money.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }