Canadian refiner Tidewater Renewables expects to make more biofuel in 2026 after policy shifts and unplanned outages last year affected output.
Tidewater expects to produce between 2,600-2,900 b/d of renewable diesel this year, the company said Thursday. Its biorefinery, one of just three in Canada that can produce renewable diesel, has averaged "near nameplate capacity" of 3,000 b/d so far this year, chief executive Jeremy Baines said.
The company's biofuel plant in Prince George, British Columbia averaged fewer than 2,000 b/d of production in 2025, and fewer than 1,500 b/d in the fourth quarter. A planned turnaround that began in September lasted two weeks longer than expected before more outages in October and December because of an equipment issue.
Hurt by imports of US renewable diesel, Tidewater has lobbied Canadian policymakers for more support. After Canada brushed aside Tidewater's calls for tariffs, British Columbia took matters into its own hands last year, adding requirements to low-carbon fuel standard incentives that domestically-produced diesel alternatives replace 8pc of the province's demand.
The federal government has since looked for other ways to support the country's nascent renewable diesel industry, which also includes larger producers Imperial Oil and Braya. Canada has floated changes to a federal clean fuel standard to prioritize Canadian-made fuels, and Tidewater expects for all of its renewable diesel this year to qualify for a separate federal production incentive.
