Report identifies significant opportunities for propane

OTTAWA, Dec. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Propane Association (CPA) welcomes the findings from The Conference Board of Canada. “They are very much in line with what we’ve been seeing in the market place. Low-emission, accessible and affordable propane will continue to be an important contributor to Canada’s economy,” said CPA President and CEO Nathalie St-Pierre.

Propane is a versatile fuel with multiple end-use markets both at home and abroad. With the extensive activities covered by the industry’s supply-chain, the industry’s economic footprint across Canada is significant, supporting many jobs and generating millions of dollars in taxes and revenues.

The release of the report provides the propane industry with robust data that demonstrates to government and the public that propane is an affordable, low-emission fuel that can help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the country in a variety of sectors.

The report identified a series of market uptake opportunities for propane that can result in a significant boost to propane demand and sales across Canada and lead to a net reduction on Canada’s GHGs.

Key domestic growth opportunities for propane include transportation, Indigenous and remote communities and agriculture.

The Conference Board anticipates that road transportation will be one of the fastest growing demand sectors for propane. The third most popular fuel in the world, propane has significantly less GHG emissions, lower maintenance costs, is cheaper than gasoline or diesel, and it is safe and reliable, with infrastructure from coast to coast. These are key reasons why delivery fleets, police departments and student transportation services are making the switch to propane.

The evolving environmental considerations and power generation needs in Canada’s remote communities make propane an ideal fuel to replace heating oil and diesel. Abundant propane is accessible, is significantly lower in GHG emissions than these traditional fuels and has the additional environmental benefit of virtually eliminating spills.

The CPA also sees the agriculture sector as a significant area of growth opportunity, which the report identified as increasing at the fastest pace among all end-users. Its portability and affordability make it an ideal fuel to power high performance farms, from grain dryers to irrigation engines and greenhouse heaters. 

“For our industry, the report shows that propane has a vital role to play as governments develop policies that will result in an affordable, low carbon future,” concluded St-Pierre.

An executive summary of the report, available in both English and French, will be available on the CPA website as well as the Conference Board website.

About the Canadian Propane Association
With over 400 members, the Canadian Propane Association (CPA) is the national association for a growing, multi-billion-dollar industry that impacts the livelihood of tens of thousands of Canadians. Our mission is to promote a safe and thriving propane industry that plays a vital role in Canada’s energy sector. To achieve this, we champion propane and the propane industry in Canada and facilitate best practices, safety and a favourable business environment through advocacy, training and emergency response.

For further information, contact: Tammy Hirsch, Sr. Director, Communications and Marketing: email: [email protected]  or phone: 587-349-5876.