BC revises boiler staffing rules The province of British Columbia has amended the Power Engineers, Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Refrigeration Safety Regulation, making two changes to the safety system. The first change explains the exemption of low-pressure thermal fluid plants from prescribed staffing requirements. The change is intended to recognize advances in control technology for these nonpressurized systems. Changes specify that low-pressure thermal fluid plants of any size may be exempt from staffing requirements provided that they meet specific criteria. Generally, the plants may be exempted from staffing requirements if they have automated control systems, commissioning systems, functional testing programs, and maintenance programs that have been approved by a professional engineer. All of these documents have to be registered by a provincial safety manager. Owners will be required to ensure that functional testing and maintenance programs are carried out as approved by a professional engineer. The second change amends the qualification requirements for boiler safety officers. Previously, only first class power engineers or, in certain circumstances, second class power engineers, were eligible to become boiler safety officers. Under the revision, the prerequisite is that the applicant must meet the qualification requirements of the National Board of Boiler Inspectors for obtaining a National Board Commission. The intent of this change is to broaden the skill set and prospective applicant pool for Boiler Safety Officers. The changes are effective immediately. A complete copy of the changes can be obtained from the British Columbia Safety Authority. Trebio to make pellets Trebio will be the first company to set up operations on the site of the former Smurfit-Stone pulp mill in the Outaouais community of Portage-du-Fort, Quebec. It will specialize in manufacturing wood pellets to supply the residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional markets in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The plant will have a production capacity of about 130,000 tonnes/year. The Canadian government is making an investment of $3.5 million in the form of a repayable contribution for the startup of the enterprise. Added to this funding is a $500,000 repayable contribution from SADC Pontiac, which is the Community Futures Development Corporation serving the area, as well as a $9-million loan from the government of Quebec. The project will necessitate an overall investment of $19 million. SSPM Pontiac, a subsidiary of Green Investment Group Inc., purchased the Smurfit-Stone plant in Portage-du-Fort last February and hired local workers to clean, repair, and redevelop the site for the eventual establishment of firms like Trebio. SSPM Pontiac will invest some $15 million in the first phase of the project, which involves developing an industrial park to house companies that will further the economic diversification of the Pontiac area. Nova Sc otia biomass power A revamped proposal has been put forward by NewPage Port Hawkesbury to supply 60 MW of biomass electricity to Nova Scotia Power. However, both activists and an expert steering panel on Nova Scotia’s natural resources strategy suggest that more study of the potential effects of the proposal on forest harvesting and subsequent ecosystem effects are needed. Bio-Mile gets $1-million grant The Bioeconomy Incubation Office for Applied Research and Commercialization Centre (BIO-ARCC), a key part of Drayton Valley’s Bio-Mile, received a grant of $1 million from Rural Alberta’s Development Fund. The Bio-Mile aims to be Alberta’s first fully integrated bio-industrial business park. As a key component of the project, the BIO-ARCC is a not-for-profit, solutions-oriented centre of excellence for business incubation, skills development and training, applied research, and commercialization, which will offer a number of services to the innovative biobased businesses in Alberta. BIO-ARCC will work with partners in industry, academia, and government to support and advance sustainable bio-industrial initiatives based on forestry, agriculture, and other resources. The creation of BIO-ARCC is expected to bring a number of highly skilled jobs to the Drayton Valley area. It’s also expected to lead to the development of a specialized knowledge-based resource for the bioindustry in Alberta and serve as a model that can be adapted by other communities across the province. Development is still at an early stage, but the funding means work on the BIO-ARCC can now begin in earnest. Yukon First Nations study biofuels The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) is investing in emerging industries in the Yukon with funding to the Dakwakada Development Corporation (DDC). CanNor will provide $50,000 to the DDC to assist its exploration of biofuel opportunities in the territory. DDC is the business investment division of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. It is exploring the potential for a wood fibre-based biofuel industry in the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and in the rest of Yukon. CanNor’s investment will enable DDC to work with industry and business planning specialists to determine if this is a viable economic opportunity, and if so, develop a business plan. There is a recognized abundance of potential waste wood sources in the Yukon. For example, trees killed by fire or beetle infestations could be harnessed for use in a Yukon-based wood pellet plant. A northern renewable energy industry would lead to employment and contracting opportunities, reduce the territory’s dependence on imported oil and propane fuel, and potentially lead to lower energy costs for businesses and residents. Clearing of waste wood would also serve to reduce the danger of forest fires. NL extends pellet heat rebate The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is extending a rebate that helps homeowners switch to wood pellet heating. The provincial government’s 2010 budget is providing $500,000 to continue the Residential Wood Pellet Appliance Rebate Program, which provides a 25% rebate to homeowners purchasing a wood pellet appliance. Homeowners interested in purchasing and installing a wood pellet appliance have until March 18, 2011, to apply for a rebate under the 2010 program. Since the program was first introduced in late 2008, 405 rebates at an average of $580 each have been issued to qualifying homeowners. Two local companies – Exploits Pelletizing Inc. in Bishop’s Falls and Cottles Island Lumber Co. In Summerford – are currently manufacturing pellets. A third pellet plant under construction in Roddickton by Holson Forest Products anticipates having pellets available by fall 2010. Details on the rebate, program requirements, and application forms can be obtained from the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Natural Resources website, from wood pellet appliance vendors in the province, or by calling 709-637-2349.