Industry Charting Path to Renewable Propane
By Tammy Hirsch
What do all these activities have in common? Low-emission propane. Whether you’re grilling, embarking on a camping adventure, or simply relaxing outdoors, propane is unmatched in convenience and versatility, offering you the freedom and flexibility to make the most of the summer season.
Propane isn’t just for recreation. It is used extensively across various industries. Millions of Canadians use propane for heating, hot water, cooking, and power generation at home, work, and on the road and it powers essential services such as school buses, fleets, hospitals, and numerous other applications.
“Propane is this incredible molecule that can go just about anywhere you can,” says Shannon Watt, president and CEO of the Canadian Propane Association (CPA). “It is crucial for agriculture, industry, transportation and remote, rural and Indigenous communities because it is a dependable and affordable solution. It is also known as energy’s first responder, serving as critical backup energy for renewables and during emergencies when the grid goes down.”
The use of propane is growing, especially in areas not connected to natural gas or electricity grids. It is one of the cleanest burning conventional fuels, with propane furnaces operating at 90 per cent efficiency. This high efficiency and long-term storage capability make it ideal to pair with hybrid technologies and renewable energies such as solar and wind.
Now propane is getting even cleaner with the CPA’s recent release of its ground-breaking study that shows how renewable propane can be developed in Canada: Propane Decarbonization Roadmap for Canada.
“Propane can immediately help Canadians reduce emissions now and in the long term for future generations,” says Watt. “While propane is already a low-carbon energy choice, its emissions are further reduced with renewable propane. Renewable propane can provide up to 85 per cent emissions savings and even more under certain conditions.”
Renewable propane has the same great features as conventional propane – reliability, portability, power, and reduced risk to water and soil – but with even lower carbon emissions. It can be made from a variety of renewable feedstocks. The most common form of renewable propane today is a byproduct of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel made primarily from plant and vegetable oils, animal fats, or used cooking oil.
Renewable propane shares an identical molecular structure with conventional propane derived from hydrocarbons. It can be used alone or in blends with other renewable sources such as DME (dimethyl ether) or low-carbon energy, including conventional propane. DME is already used extensively worldwide, mainly in industrial settings. It is a colourless gas chemically similar to propane and like propane, it is easy to handle and store in liquid form.
By fostering advancements in innovation and technology and promoting sustainable practices within the propane industry, Canada can continue to rely on this essential energy while minimizing its overall environmental impact. The ongoing evolution of the propane sector holds promise for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
Tammy Hirsch is a seasoned marketing and communications leader with over two decades of experience in the energy sector. Serving as the senior director of marketing and communications at the Canadian Propane Association (CPA) since 2016, Tammy plays a pivotal role in devising and executing strategic communications plans to advance propane’s profile and industry interests nationwide. Before her tenure at the CPA, Tammy spent seven years at Statoil/Equinor, a prominent Norwegian state oil and gas company, where she contributed to an award-winning stakeholder engagement team.
