VICTORIA -- In an effort to help meet upcoming renewable fuel content standards in 2010, the B.C. government is investing $10 million for biofuel production.

The province’s investment is designed specifically to support the production of liquid biofuels with demonstrated low greenhouse gas emissions in B.C.

“This is an investment in technology and the ingenuity of British Columbians,” said Ida Chong, Minister of Technology, Trade and Economic Development. “By converting biomass into liquid fuels with uses ranging from transportation to home heating, we can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent by 2020.”

The funding is meant to support the provincial government’s priorities, including meeting requirements under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, which requires a 5 percent minimum annual average renewable content in gasoline and diesel beginning in 2010.

The funds will also help B.C. to further reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from all transportation fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020 through a low-carbon fuel standard.

Eligible projects will include those applying both conventional and second generation technologies. New production capacity using conventional biodiesel technology will be eligible in this call for proposals.

All projects will be required to demonstrate that the fuel will result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions relative to conventional petroleum-based fuels, based on a full life-cycle assessment.

The investment will be administered through the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund.