Research summary
Residues and biogenic wastes (those produced by living beings) from agriculture and forestry can offer a source of renewable organic carbon for use in bioenergy and bioproducts—and they can do this without competing with our food supply. Increasing the use of these products could help Canada transition to a low-carbon economy. But being able to sustainably extract, process, convert and diversify enough of the chemical components of biowastes to meet our needs remains a challenge.
Dr. Sonil Nanda, Canada Research Chair in Clean Agricultural Technology and Energy, is developing sustainable and scalable technologies to derive bioenergy and bioproducts from biowastes. At the same time, he and his research team are accelerating innovation in next-generation biofuels, waste valorization (the extraction of value from waste materials), decarbonization, and equitable talent development. Their work will benefit both the environment and Canadian society.