Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, Jim Carr, announced a C$800,000 ($594,000) investment in G4 Insights Inc. to develop technology to convert forestry waste into recyclable natural gas that can be distributed through existing natural gas pipelines in Canada.

Jim Carr, Canada's Natural Resources ministerG4 Insights is partnering with the Canadian Gas Association members Enbridge Gas Distribution, FortisBC, Gaz Metro, Union Gas, utility host ATCO, the Natural Gas Innovation Fund, Alberta Innovates, and FPInnovations, who are contributing a combined $1.35 million toward this project.

Renewable natural gas produced from sustainably managed forest residue can emit up to 85% less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fossil fuels, according to a statement. Forest residue, which includes all parts of the tree, can be converted into solid, liquid or gaseous biofuels such as RNG that can then be burned for energy or used as fuel substitutes for transportation or industrial processes.

G4 Insights will build a RNG demonstration plant and test it under operational conditions with a range of biomass types to generate relevant technical operating and economic data. The site in Edmonton, Alberta, was chosen to support all-season operation in outdoor conditions.