Carbon Market

Manure anaerobic digestion

In Quebec, manure is typically stored in manure pits, where it emits methane as it decomposes under anaerobic conditions. These types of manure have the greatest potential for reducing GHG emissions.

The government supports the implementation of projects that avoid GHG emissions generated by the treatment of manure through biomethanization.

Submitting a project to obtain offset credits

To be eligible for offset credits under the Regulation respecting manure anaerobic digestion projects eligible for the issuance of offset credits (Regulation), you must complete the following steps.

Step 1: List a project

To list a project, you must complete the form Project notice or renewal notice for offset credits relating to anaerobic digestion of manure (French, PDF, 1,4 MB).

The Minister will assign a code to your project and will list it to the Register of Offset Credit Projects.

Step 2: Implement, run and monitor the project

Once your project is launched, it must be monitored in accordance with the conditions set out in the Regulation.

Project monitoring includes the collection and recording of data required to quantify GHG emission reductions. It also involves the installation, operation, maintenance, verification and calibration of measuring instruments and other devices and equipment.

Step 3: Quantify GHG emission reductions and draft a project report

You must quantify your project’s GHG emission reductions and provide certain information required for the initial compliance period or for subsequent reporting periods, as the case may be.

To that end, please use the Offset Credit Project Report Template Manure anaerobic digestion projects (French, Word, 120 KB).

You are required to send the project report(s) to the Minister only when you are ready to submit your application for issuance of offset credits, or at the Minister’s request.

Step 4: Have the project report verified by an accredited verification organization

Prior to submitting an application for issuance of offset credits, you must have the project report(s) verified by an accredited verification organization. The verification will be at the project promoter’s expense.

The verification organization must confirm with a reasonable level of confidence that the project report complies with the Regulation and that the project’s emission reductions are free of significant errors, omissions or inaccuracies. The verification organization must issue a report in compliance with the conditions set out in the Regulation.

Step 5: Submit an application for issuance of offset credits and await analysis, decision and remittance of credits

To obtain offset credits for your project, you must submit an application for issuance of offset credits to the Minister. The application must include the information and documents set out in the RCATS, in addition to the project report(s) and the verification report. To that end, please use the form Application for the Issuance of Offset Credits and Promoter Declaration (French, PDF, 2.4 MB).

Your project will be analyzed after your application has been submitted. If all the requirements are met, the Minister will then issue the offset credits and deposit 97% of the credits into your general account in the C&T Compliance Instruments Tracking System Service (CITSS), rounded down to the nearest whole number. The remaining credits will be deposited into the Minister’s environmental integrity account, which serves as a cushion to replace credits that may have been cancelled in certain circumstances. Therefore, Québec’s offset credits are 100% guaranteed; there is no risk for the buyer.

Assistance

If you have any questions concerning this process, please contact the Carbon Market Division’s offset credit team by email dmc.creditscompensatoires@environnement.gouv.qc.ca.

Please do not send personal or confidential information to this email address, as it is not secure.