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Computare

An Alberta CO2 Opportunity? – Biosinks

•Agricultural production increase via irrigation

–Alberta currently irrigates < 1.5 million acres

–One half of the Slave river could irrigate 20 million acres

–Poplar and corn absorb about 8 t/acre-annum of CO2

–A potential for 160Mt/annum absorption from the atmosphere

–How much could be returned to soils?

•Overcoming Gravity

–Lakes Claire and Athabasca are about 700m lower than the prairies

–Two kwhr/m3

–About 12,000 Mw at 100% to lift ½ of the Slave River

•Would the value of carbon sinks help defray costs?

•Food for thought

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	Data from the foregoing figure and Alberta’s irrigation industry suggests that just one half of the water from the Slave river would irrigate about 20 million acres. Additional data from Alberta Food, Agriculture and Rural Development and from the Ontario Corn Producers Association suggest some crops can remove carbon from the atmosphere at the rate of about 8 tonnes per acre per annum for a total of 160 million tonnes/annum. I wonder how much of that could ultimately be credited as a sink with the development of appropriate techniques?
	Unfortunately, Northern Alberta is about 700 metres lower than Southern Alberta so gravity will not easily relinquish that water for our convenience. About 2 kWhr/m3 of energy input would be needed to overcome gravity and about 12,000 Mw would be needed to lift half of the Slave River flow.
	Would the value of the carbon sinks help defray the cost of such a system? Preliminary estimates suggest that if the crop was converted to charcoal to maximize the sink, it might be worth more than food crops. That’s a scary thought. With that whimsy I’d like to conclude.