Advanced Biofuels Canada honors two retiring industry leaders

Advanced Biofuels Canada said Ian Thomson and Doug Hooper will retire from the association on Dec. 31, 2026 after more than two decades shaping Canada’s low-carbon fuels sector. The group is highlighting their roles in building the industry, influencing clean fuel policy and expanding biofuel production across Canada.

Why it matters: - Ian Thomson and Doug Hooper helped shape Canada’s low-carbon fuels industry over more than 20 years. - Their work influenced federal and provincial clean fuel policy, biofuel production growth and the industry’s national expansion. - Advanced Biofuels Canada said the sector’s future growth rests on the foundation they helped build.

What happened: - Advanced Biofuels Canada Association said Thomson and Hooper will retire from the association on Dec. 31, 2026. - Fred Ghatala, president of Advanced Biofuels Canada, praised both leaders for building the industry and helping establish the association as a respected voice in policy and fiscal program development. - Kent Engelbrecht, ABFC chair, said the industry-wide impact of their work is difficult to quantify.

The details: - Thomson and Hooper co-founded Canadian Bioenergy Corp. in the early 2000s. - Canadian Bioenergy Corp. helped commission Canada’s largest biodiesel refinery in 2013. - Thomson, ABFC’s founding president, helped establish the BC Biodiesel Association in 2005 and the Alberta Biodiesel Association in 2006. - Those groups later merged into the Western Canada Biodiesel Association. - The association later evolved into Advanced Biofuels Canada in 2015. - ABFC said Thomson’s leadership helped grow membership and influence year after year. - ABFC also expanded internationally and built formal ties with allied associations across North America and Europe. - ABFC said those relationships helped strengthen the outlook for low-carbon sustainable fuels in Canadian transportation. - Hooper served as director of policy and regulation before ABFC was formed. - ABFC said Hooper helped shape every clean fuel regulation in Canada since 2005. - Hooper led sector efforts on the federal Clean Fuel Regulations in 2022. - Hooper also worked on provincial regulations in British Columbia in 2010 and 2013, Alberta in 2011, Saskatchewan in 2012, Manitoba in 2009, Ontario in 2014 and Quebec in 2023. - Hooper helped develop fiscal programs that supported billions of litres of added biofuel production capacity. - Those programs included the federal ecoENERGY for Biofuels program, Alberta’s Biofuel Production Credit Program and the federal Biofuels Production Incentive.

Between the lines: - ABFC is using the retirements to underscore continuity in its policy work, not a reset in strategy. - The association said its current leadership team will keep pushing policies that support low-carbon fuel production, investment and market growth. - Fred Ghatala has led ABFC since January 2025. - Colleen Lamothe became ABFC vice president in October 2024 and continues to lead provincial and federal engagement. - ABFC said its board, research staff and policy teams support that ongoing effort.

What’s next: - ABFC said it will continue advancing policies that strengthen low-carbon fuel production and attract investment across Canada. - The association said it expects continued growth in the biofuels sector to benefit Canadian agriculture and energy. - ABFC thanked Thomson and Hooper and wished them well in retirement. - More information is available in Advanced Biofuels Canada’s announcement