Specified Gas Emitters Regulation Results for the 2009 Compliance Year

The Regulation has now reached the end of its 3rd compliance year and the Alberta Offset System has generated 58 projects that have been registered and has serialized over 9.4 million tonnes of GHG emission reductions or removals on the Alberta Emissions Offset Registry.

2009 Compliance Year (January 1 - December 31, 2009)

  • 26 new projects covering 13 protocol types - Add on vintage to 18 existing projects
    • 4.43 Mt of reductions / removals verified and registered on the registry an increase from 3.47 million from 2008 year
    • 3.83 Mt offset credits used for regulated facility compliance an increase from 2.75 million in 2008 compliance year
  • Improvements to Operations 1.4 Megatonnes
  • CCEM Fund Payments 4.2 Megatonnes ($62.9 million)
  • Alberta-based Offset Credit Purchases 3.8 Megatonnes
  • Emission Performance Credits used 1.2 Megatonnes

Alberta-based Offset Credit Usage - 3.83 Mt C02e
Regulated facilities purchased almost 3.83 Mt worth of offset credits that were created following one of the Alberta-government approved quantification protocols, were verified by a third party, and registered on the Alberta Emissions Offset Registry (AEOR).  Offset credits used for compliance were seen from 13 different project types.
The AEOR processed an additional 26 offset projects and processed additional vintage for 18 existing projects, with all or portions of these project offsets being submitted by regulated facilities for compliance.  Fifteen of the projects were based in the agricultural sector through Tillage Management GHG emission removals.  Project-types diversified in Alberta including new projects registered from Biofuel Energy Generation, Nitric Acid Abatement, and Waste Heat Recovery projects.
 
CCEM Fund Payments – 4.2 Megatonnes (~$62.9 million)
Companies chose to pay approximately $62.9 million into the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund (CCEM), which will invest in projects and technology that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Alberta. The CCEMC is a not-for-profit, independent organization with a mandate to expand climate change knowledge, develop new ‘clean’ technologies and explore practical ways of implementing them.

Improvements to Operations – 1.4 Megatonnes
Companies made improvements to their operations that resulted in 1.4 Megatonnes of reductions. For example, a facility could have installed a more efficient boiler or more effectively use energy such as steam that would otherwise be released by the facility.

Emission Performance Credits – 1.7 Megatonnes
A facility was able to purchase EPCs from others or use earned EPCs from reducing their emissions intensity beyond the 12% target.  In 2009, 1.7 Mt of emission performance credits were generated, with 1.2 Mt submitted for compliance purposes.