Pre-publication: New combustion processes for bagasse and agricultural residues

Date: September 11, 2025

1. Purpose

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) proposes new combustion processes for bagasse from sugar cane and agricultural residues. These processes would be included in the Fuel Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Model (the Model) for the next formal publication in 2026.

This pre-publication describes the proposed changes to the methodology, data sources and assumptions. It also provides the carbon intensities (CIs) associated with the proposed changes. Stakeholders can provide comments on this pre-publication.

Model users cannot use pre-publications as part of regulations or to apply for government programs unless otherwise specified. Examples of regulations and programs include the Clean Fuel Regulations, and the Clean Hydrogen Investment Tax Credit.

The CIs in this document may differ from those included in the next formal publication of the Model. This may be due to comments received or other changes made in the Model.

This pre-publication includes this document and an openLCA module. For each new process, the module includes:

a unit process that includes the inputs and outputs (located in the Background Modelling folder of the Model Database)
a system process that contains the rolled-up CI (located in the Data Library folder of the Model Database).

2. Context

Bagasse

Bagasse is a by-product generated after milling of sugar cane. Bioethanol plants often use bagasse to generate their energy through cogeneration

Currently, the Model does not include a process for the combustion of bagasse used to generate energy at a biofuel production plant.

However, the Data Library/Feedstocks/Crops/Sugar cane folder of the Model contains a Brazilian sugar cane process. This process models the agricultural activities of harvesting sugar cane at the farm. Section 3.5.2 of the Fuel Life Cycle Assessment Model Methodology outlines the modelling approach for this process. This pre-publication does not propose any changes to this process.

Agricultural residues

Agricultural residues refer to leftover materials remaining in the field after the crop has been harvested. Examples of residues include leaves, stovers and straws. The residues can be collected on the fields and transported to biofuel facilities. These facilities use agricultural residues as feedstock or for energy generation.

Currently, the Model does not include a process for the combustion of agricultural residues used to generate energy at a biofuel facility.

The Data Library/Feedstocks/Residues folder of the Model includes a process for collecting agricultural residues when they are used as feedstock for biofuel production. Section 3.5.3 of the Fuel Life Cycle Assessment Model Methodology outlines the modelling approach for this process. This pre-publication does not propose any changes to this process.

3. Description of the proposed changes to the Model

ECCC proposes adding new combustion processes for bagasse and agricultural residues. These would be included in the Model for the next formal publication planned in 2026.

These processes would include emissions associated to the transport of bagasse or agricultural residues to a biofuel production facility and to the combustion of these for the generation of heat or energy.

The new processes would be located in the Data Library/Renewable Fuels/Combusted Renewable Fuels folder, as follows:

Bagasse combustion, from sugar cane
Agricultural residues combustion, from corn stover and wheat straw

The CIs for these processes are available for public review in Annex A of this document. They are also included in a module that can be uploaded in openLCA.

Annex B presents new sections that would be included in the Fuel LCA Model Methodology for these processes. It also details the proposed modelling approach, assumptions, and data sources.

4. Instructions for importing the module

The module is available in the folder New-combustion-processes-for-bagasse-and-agricultural-residues of the ECCC Data Catalogue. Model users can import the module either into an empty database or into the Model Database.

Importing into an empty database allows users to see the new and revised processes.
Importing into an existing Model Database allows users to calculate updated CIs for the new and updated processes.

When a Model user imports the module into the existing Model Database, they will update the values of existing processes. These changes are irreversible. Model users should always import the module into a copy of their original database.

For more information, please refer to the Instructions on how to import a module into openLCA.

5. How to submit comments on this pre-publication

Stakeholders can provide their comments to ECCC within 30 days following the pre-publication. These can be sent by email to modeleacvcarburant-fuellcamodel@ec.gc.ca.

Please add the following in the subject line: Comments on the Pre-publication: New combustion processes for bagasse and agricultural residues. Comments will be considered for the next formal version of the Fuel LCA Model.

For any questions related to this pre-publication, please contact modeleacvcarburant-fuellcamodel@ec.gc.ca. Please add the following subject line: Questions on the Pre-publication: New combustion processes for bagasse and agricultural residues.

Annex A – CI Comparison

This Annex presents the CI values for the proposed new bagasse and agricultural residue processes. These values use the global warming potential (GWP) for the 100-year time horizon of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (AR5). For more information, please refer to section 2.8 of the Fuel Life Cycle Assessment Model Methodology.

Table 1: Data Library CIs for the proposed new bagasse and agricultural residue processes
Process	CI (g CO₂e/MJ)
Bagasse combustion, from sugar cane	2.42
Agricultural residues combustion, from corn stover and wheat straw	1.72

As stated in section 3, Annex B provides information on the methodology used to develop these CIs.

Annex B – Proposed methodology

The following sections provide the proposed changes to the Fuel LCA Model Methodology (the Methodology). These will be reflected in the next formal version of the Model but may differ due to comments received.

Modelling approach for bagasse combustion from sugar cane

The Data Library includes a system process that models the combustion of bagasse. This process includes the emissions associated to the transportation and the combustion of bagasse used for heat or electricity generation at a biofuel production plant. Bagasse is considered a waste from the industrial process. Therefore, the scope of the process doesn’t include emissions associated with the growth, harvesting, and processing of sugar cane. Pre-treating bagasse prior to use as an energy input is excluded from the process scope. Bagasse is assumed to be left to air-dry in heaps or bales at the production facility.

Transportation modelling from the production facility to the end user considers that bagasse has a moisture content of 48.9% (R&D GREET 2024). The transport distance of bagasse is set at 55 km using distance data from 67 ethanol production mills in Brazil.^{Footnote 1} This data was published for public review through the Brazilian RenovaBio program (IEA, 2022). The modeling assumes transport uses trucks with an average payload of 25 tonnes.

CH₄ and N₂O combustion emissions are calculated with stationary combustion emission factors for other primary solid biomass in energy industries taken from Table 2.2 of 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. The Model sets biogenic CO₂ emissions associated to low-carbon-intensity fuels (LCIF) combustion to zero in the life cycle inventory (LCI).

The process uses a functional unit of 1 MJ of bagasse at a higher heating value (HHV) of 17.97 MJ/kg on a dry basis (M. de O. Camargo et al., 2021). The transport begins from a production facility to an end user where bagasse is used to generate heat or electricity.

Geographical scope for bagasse combustion

The combustion process models an average transport distance with data from Brazilian ethanol facilities. The Model uses stationary combustion emission factors from the IPCC for primary solid biomass in energy industries.

A Model user can apply this system process regardless of geographical location.

Allocation for bagasse combustion

The combustion of bagasse does not require allocation.

Data Sources for bagasse combustion

[R&D GREET 2024] The R&D Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies Model. Argonne National Laboratory. (R&D GREET 2024). Argonne GREET Model (anl.gov)
[IEA] International Energy Agency. Task 39 - Life Cycle Inventory Data for Brazilian Sugarcane Production. February 2022. Don O’Connor, (S&T)2 Consultants Inc
[IPCC] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2006. 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme. Eggleston, H.S., Buendia, L., Miwa, K., Ngara, T., Tanabe, K. (eds). Hayama (Japan): Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
M. de O. Camargo, Julia et al. 2021. Physicochemical Properties of Sugarcane Industry Residues Aiming at Their Use in Energy Processes. Sugarcane - Biotechnology for Biofuels. IntechOpen

Modelling approach for agricultural residues combustion, from corn stover and wheat straw

The Data Library includes a system process that models the combustion of agricultural residues. The process includes the emissions associated to the transport from the farm to the end user and the combustion emissions from the residues. Agricultural residues are considered a waste from agriculture. Therefore, the scope of the process doesn’t include emissions associated with the growth, harvesting, and processing of the main crop. Pre-treating agricultural residues prior to use as an energy input is excluded from the process scope. Agricultural residues are assumed to be left to air-dry in heaps or bales at the production facility.

The process also includes the upstream emissions associated with the collection of agricultural residues. These include the emissions associated with fuel production and consumption by farm machinery, and production of replacement of nitrogen (N) fertilizer. For more information on this, see section 3.5.3 of the Methodology.

Transportation modelling from the farm to the end user considers that agricultural residues have a moisture content of 11.5%. This is an average of the moisture of corn stover and wheat straw which are 12% (R&D GREET 2024) and 11% (Manitoba Agriculture, 2017) respectively. A distance of 100 km by 25-tonnes truck is used for the modeling of the transport between the farm and end user.

CH₄ and N₂O combustion emissions are calculated with the emission factors for wood fuel/wood waste combustion in an industrial furnace from Table A6.6-1 Emission Factors for Biomass. These can be found in the National Inventory Report 1990-2023: greenhouse gas sources and sinks in Canada 2025. The model sets biogenic CO₂ emissions from LCIF combustion to zero in the LCI.

The process uses a functional unit of 1 MJ using an HHV of 18.13 MJ/kg on a dry basis. This is an average of the HHV for corn stover, 18.34 MJ/kg (R&D GREET 2024) and the HHV of wheat straw, 17.92 MJ/kg (Manitoba Agriculture, 2017). The transport begins from a farm to an end user where agricultural residues are used to generate heat or electricity.

Geographical scope for agricultural residues combustion

CH₄ and N₂O combustion emissions are calculated with the emission factors for wood fuel/wood waste combustion in an industrial furnace from Table A6.6-1 Emission Factors for Biomass. These can be found in the National Inventory Report 1990-2023: greenhouse gas sources and sinks in Canada 2025.