Canadian Biomass • September-October 2018 • Industry News

Quebec-based Airex Energy has received approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the sale and use of its BiocharFX product in Canada.

BiocharFX is a 100 per cent natural and organic soil amendment. Its high carbon content promotes plant growth and yields by improving soil aeration and drainage, nutrient retention, as well as soil moisture availability.

When mixed with soil, compost or peat moss, BiocharFX can be used with all types of plants and crops, and for a wide range of applications such as flower beds, home gardening, landscaping, organic agriculture and commercial horticulture. Biochar can also be used for waste water filtration as well as the reduction of metals for environmental soil remediation.

“Airex Energy is the largest biochar producer in Canada. Our plant located in Bécancour, Que., has an annual capacity of more than 5,000 metric tonnes produced from sawdust and barks from fir, spruce and maple species,” said Sylvain Bertrand, CEO of Airex Energy. “Our BiocharFX product can be delivered in big bags by trucks, rail or even by sea to customers anywhere in Canada.”

Airex Energy’s industrial- scale demonstration plant opened in February last year. The facility cost around $10 million in public and private investments for its design, construction, and start-up.

Toronto and Enbridge have announced plans to build the city’s first renewable natural gas (RNG) facility at the Dufferin Organics Processing Facility. The facility will produce biofuel by capturing and processing the biomethane released by the city’s organic waste.

The facility is expected to produce more than five million cubic metres of RNG, which would be enough to fuel 132 garbage trucks – 90 per cent of the city’s fleet – or heat more than 2,000 homes. The RNG will be injected into the city’s natural gas distribution system.

Mayor John Tory said the project represents a path to low-carbon fuel for Toronto and will play an important role in helping them reach their goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. “The city remains committed to its climate change action goals and to creating a more sustainable Toronto. By working with Enbridge we are able to move positive projects like this forward to the benefit of our residents and the environment,” Tory said in a news release.

Cynthia Hansen, executive vice-president of utilities and power operations for Enbridge, commended Mayor Tory and the city for their vision and commitment to renewable energy.

“We all agree that we must have cleaner or lower carbon energy options to heat our homes and move our vehicles. While traditional natural gas is the cleanest-burning conventional fuel, RNG is the first step in ‘greening’ the natural gas system,” she said.

The Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has announced the closure of the 100 per cent wood pellet-fuelled Thunder Bay Generating station.

The closure stems from significant corrosion damage found to the boiler at in late May this year, the OPG said in a news release. Because of the high capital repair costs, high operational costs and limited time remaining on the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) contract for Thunder Bay Generating Station, OPG and IESO determined that shutting down the station now is in the best interests of electricity customers.

Repairs to the Thunder Bay Generating Station would take approximately six months, leaving only one year remaining for the IESO contract. Because of a lack of demand, Thunder Bay Generating Station is rarely used for electricity generation. Based on historical annual average operational days, it is expected that the repaired boiler would only be used for 2.5 days.

The OPG said the decision will save Ontario electricity customers $40 million and avoid $5 million in costs to OPG.

The federal government is challenging Canadians to develop sustainable and affordable bio-jet fuel that reduces the aviation sector’s carbon foot print.

Minister of Natural Resources Amarjeet Sohi announced the Sky’s the Limit Challenge at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton in August.

“This unique challenge facilitates collaborations to support a game-changing transformation of the aviation industry. A Canadian-made sustainable aviation fuel will grow our clean economy and create good, middle-class jobs for Canadian workers,” Sohj said in a news release.

• The Green Aviation Fuels Innovation Competition: provides $2 million to four teams who develop the most innovative solutions. The funding will support an 18-month competition to produce the most economical and environmentally sustainable aviation fuel. The winner will receive a $5-million grand prize.

• The Cross-Canada Flight Competition: first participant to fuel a Canadian commercial flight using a minimum 10 per cent blend of made-in-Canada bio-jet fuel. Winner will receive $1 million.

According to the news release, the federal government plans to purchase bio-jet fuel for its federal aviation fleets once it is commercially available at a competitive price. The Department of National Defence and Transport Canada have signalled their early support.

B.C.-based pellet producer Pinnacle Renewable Holdings is heading to the southern U.S. with the acquisition of an Alabama industrial wood pellet plant.

Pinnacle announced in early September it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 70 per-cent interest in an operating industrial wood pellet production facility located in Aliceville, currently owned by The Westervelt Company. Westervelt will retain a 30 per cent ownership.

The facility has an annual production capacity of about 270,000 metric tonnes, 210,000 of which is committed under a long-term off-take contract with a major European utility. Pinnacle plans to sell the remaining volume through its contracted backlog of long-term, take-or-pay off-take contracts.

Pinnacle CEO Robert McCurdy said in a news release the acquisition is launching point for Pinnacle’s future growth in the U.S. Southeast, a key fibre basket.

“Through this transaction, we are also pleased to form a partnership with Westervelt, a leading forestry and land resource company in the region. We look forward to working with Westervelt to optimize the production capacity and operating efficiencies at the Aliceville Facility, and to jointly explore other potential future growth opportunities in Alabama and Mississippi,” McCurdy said.

“Our mutual dedication to safety, environmental responsibility, quality and our people provides a strong foundation for our partnership,” said Westervelt president and CEO Brian Luoma. “Where Pinnacle brings decades of pellet industry experience, we bring generations of land stewardship and management, our core business competencies. This was a natural partnership because of our shared values, and because this joint venture takes advantage of synergies between the two companies.”

Several large local sawmills will be supplying residuals to the Aliceville plant, including Westervelt’s sawmill in Moundville, Ala.

Scaling Up Bio, Ottawa’s annual conference on strategies to scale up the industrial bioeconomy in Canada, is returning to the capital Nov. 5-7 with a new format that allows more time for Q&A and discussion.

Conference chair Jeff Passmore has arranged plenary sessions that give speakers just three minutes to share their message, leaving plenty of time for a healthy panel and audience dialogue.

“One of the comments we’ve had in the past is to increase time for discussion and Q&A. Three minutes really forces a person to focus their message. Each panel should then have at least 20 minutes left over for Q&A,” Passmore says.

Over three days, 50 Canadian and international speakers will cover the bioenergy, biofuel, bioproducts and biochemical sectors. The conference will not only hear from commercial producers, but also large industrial customers.

“In the past we’ve had technology providers discussing the pathways, and we have at least 10 of those coming, but we also have customers coming – companies like Shell, SkyNRG out of the Netherlands, and the steel industry. These are companies looking for ways to reduce their greenhouse gas footprint,” Passmore says.

Keynote speakers will include Christopher Regan, chair of Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, who will discuss the use of carbon tax to drive substitution, as well as David Golden, senior vice-president for chemical producer Eastman. Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May is also back by popular demand.

Julie Gelfand, commissioner of the environment and sustainable development for the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, will also be presenting a keynote.

Find a list of speakers and a working agenda at www.scalingupconference. ca. Register before Oct. 5 to receive the early-bird rate of $575.