Turning Fields into Fuel
Canola’s Role in Renewable Diesel

Renewable diesel is described as a “drop-in” fuel that performs just like traditional diesel fuel, but it’s made using different materials, including hydrogen and a bio feedstock like canola. With approximately 6.5 million acres of canola production and canola crushing capacity in Alberta, canola oil offers a reliable local feedstock for the production of renewable diesel right here in Alberta at Imperial’s Strathcona refinery.

IMPERIAL RENEWABLE DIESEL FACILITY

Alberta Canola’s board and staff were invited to visit the Strathcona refinery to learn more about Imperial’s investment in a new renewable diesel facility and to tour the construction site. Everyone who attended gained a much greater understanding of the significance that Imperial’s new facility will have in the province’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

This proposed facility is slated to be the largest renewable diesel refinery in Canada once it is in operation, with the capacity to produce one billion litres per year of renewable diesel. Facility start-up is planned for mid-2025.

WHY IS IT A GAME CHANGER FOR CANOLA?

This facility is not only a game changer for Alberta’s refining industry, but also a game changer for our canola industry. The primary source of feedstock the facility will use is canola oil.

To meet the full capacity feedstock demands of Imperial’s renewable diesel facility, approximately 2.5 MMT of canola seed, nearly half of Alberta’s annual canola production, will need to be crushed by various canola crush facilities to produce 1 MMT of canola oil for feedstock.

This is great news for over 12,000 growers in Alberta and the entire canola value chain. A new, reliable domestic demand source for canola that doesn’t require trade deals is a much-needed stabilizer for the canola industry for decades to come. It also creates a synergy between the two largest sectors of the Albertan economy: energy and agriculture.

For Alberta Canola, touring the facility allowed us to better understand the potential economic benefits, the refinery’s impact, and how it aligns with both Imperial’s and Alberta Canola’s broader goals, ensuring the industry is well-positioned to capitalize on this emerging market.

As Alberta moves toward a more diversified economy, the Strathcona renewable diesel facility is creating opportunities for both the agriculture and energy sectors to work together in new ways.