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GHGenius

Last updated on December 22, 2023

Carbon intensities of fuels supplied in BC must be calculated using an approved version of the GHGenius model unless the director has accepted an alternative method for some or all of the components of the fuel's lifecycle. The GHGenius model can be used to develop lifecycle assessments (LCAs) for transportation fuels used in Canada that are consistent with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards:

  • 14040: 2006 Environmental Management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and Framework

  • 14044: 2006 Environmental Management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines

See RLCF011: Approved Version of GHGenius and Global Warming Potentials. From January 1, 2015 until December 31, 2023, carbon intensity applications must be prepared using GHGenius version 4.03, or in accordance with the Transition Plan. From January 1, 2024 onward, carbon intensity applications must be prepared using GHGenius version 5.02b.

For detailed instructions on how to use GHGenius to prepare a carbon intensity application, please refer to:

RLCF-010 supplements the instruction manual for GHGenius 4.03 and provides working examples that illustrate the process of determining the carbon intensity of a transportation fuel. The instruction manual for GHGenius 4.03 can be obtained by contacting Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). 

GHGenius Transition Plan 

Starting January 1, 2024, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard will transition from GHGenius version 4.03 to version 5.02b as the approved model for calculating carbon intensities. All applications submitted after this date must be prepared using GHGenius 5.02b and any applications submitted prior to this that use GHGenius 4.03 will expire by June 30, 2024.

The following plan has been put in place to support this transition:

  1. From July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, GHGenius 5.02, 5.02a or 5.02b may be used for carbon intensity applications provided the application is for a new fuel code or renewal of a fuel code that expires in 2023
  2. Starting on January 1, 2024 all carbon intensity applications submitted must be calculated using 5.02b.
  3. Between July 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, only applications prepared using GHGenius 5.02, 5.02a, or 5.02b (per item 1 above) will be eligible for 3-year approval
  4. Applications prepared using GHGenius 4.03 with effective (start) dates in 2023 will be eligible for an expiry date no later than June 30, 2024, or 1 year from the proposed effective (start) date, whichever is less
  5. Previously submitted applications prepared using GHGenius 4.03 with effective (start) dates in 2022 that are in the application queue are eligible for an expiry date of December 31, 2023, or 18 months from the requested effective date, whichever is greater

Below are examples of some possible scenarios to clarify the transition plan:

  • A renewal application submitted on October 28, 2023, that uses GHGenius 5.02, 5.02a or 5.02b to calculate the carbon intensity for a fuel code that is set to expire on March 2, 2024, would not be accepted for review (per item 1). In this case, the applicant would need to wait until January 1, 2024 and submit an application using GHGenius 5.02b or re-submit their application with a carbon intensity calculated using GHGenius 4.03
  • A renewal application submitted on October 28, 2023, that uses GHGenius 5.02, 5.02a or 5.02b to calculate an updated carbon intensity for a fuel code that was set to expire on October 31, 2023, would be accepted for review (per item 1) and this application would be eligible for a 3-year approval (per item 3)
  • An application for a new fuel code, prepared using GHGenius 4.03, submitted on June 20, 2023, and with a proposed effective (start) date of September 14, 2023, would be eligible for a fuel code with an expiry date of June 30, 2024 (per item 4)
  • An application currently in the queue for a new fuel code that was prepared using GHGenius 4.03 and has a proposed effective (start) date of November 23, 2022, and would be eligible for an expiry of May 22, 2024 (per item 5)

GHGenius5.02 Workshop

The Low Carbon Fuels Branch held an online GHGenius5.02 workshop series on November 14, 15 & 16, 2023. The workshop was led by Don O’Connor from (S&T)2 Consultants.

The content of the workshop was:

  • An overview of GHGenius, data sources, and methodology
  • Description of the changes between GHGenius4.03 and GHGenius5.02
  • Demonstration of one or two fuel pathways
  • Question & Answer (Q&A) session

November 14 & 15 covered the main workshop content and November 16 was a Q&A session.

The slide deck from the workshop is available from the GHGenius website here: BC LCFS GHGenius Workshops

 

 

GHGenius 4.03 and 5.02

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) owns the copyright to GHGenius 4.03c. Please contact ECCC to obtain a copy of the Model or a copy of the report which includes instructions on how to run the Model.

GHGenius 5.02 can be downloaded from the GHGenius website.