Making our Future Bioenergy and bioproducts have an exciting future in Canada. his issue of Canadian Biomass high-lights both the boundless future and the frustrating present of the forestry biomass sector. The future holds the promise of bioproducts that will add value to everything we do in the forest products sector. However, the present demonstrates the harsh realities of trying to make a living creating the modern-day equivalent of firewood. First, to our future. Our cover story on nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) is researched and written by new Canadian Biomass associate editor Da-vid Manly. David is a self-confessed science junkie, and a recent graduate who was recently recognized for his blogging with Scientific American. NCC is a potential wonder product – a renewable material from our abundant forests that can make other products light-er and stronger. It may look flaky in our cover shot, but is far from it. There are currently three Canadian start-ups investing in the technology, includ-ing one in Quebec that is backed by pulp giant Domtar. That venture is ramping up commercial production, and will soon send product out for market testing. This is forestry’s Holy Grail. NCC, petro-chemical substitutes, value-added drop-in fuels and more are where we all hope to take this industry one day soon. In the meantime, we have to pay the bills. That’s where the occasionally frustrat-ing present comes in. On page 20, veteran forestry scribe Jean Sorensen reports on BC biomass con-BIOMASS CANADIAN Volume 5 No. 1 Associate Editor -David Manly (519) 429-3966 ext 261 [email protected] Group Publisher/Editorial Director -Scott Jamieson (519) 429-3966 ext 244 [email protected] Contributors -Gordon Murray, Mark Ryans, Dr. Gilles Dorris, C. Scott Miller T tractor Dave McKay of Triack Resources. The crew is scraping out a living grind-ing low-value and waste wood for a fickle coastal biomass market. It’s hog fuel or landscaping material, and one source is as good as the next. Nor does anyone in charge seem to care whether this material is used or burned on site. Read the article and McKay’s comments, and you’ll get a feel for how hard it can be to get by in a nascent market using an easily interchangeable fuel supply. It’s a volume game in this part of the value chain, and without a reliable fibre supply and loyal client base, sur-vival is a struggle. The end result is an underutilized resource. Environmentalists may worry about forests being stripped clean by a rampaging biomass sector, but like most of us with a grasp of current forest eco-nomics, McKay knows this concern is misplaced. “We are not even using 5% of the (green) residual wood in our area; I am totally flabbergasted by the amount of fi-bre left behind,” he explains, noting that there is no local market willing to pay a minimal amount for delivering it. The wide-eyed promise of tomorrow gives us hope to face the grinding chal-lenges of today. Bridging the two will continue to challenge this industry. It will also continue to fill our pages, drive our website, and fuel our Tweets. Stay tuned. • Scott Jamieson, Editorial Director [email protected] Market Production Manager Josée Crevier Ph: (514) 425-0025 Fax: (514) 425-0068 [email protected] National Sales Manager Ross Anderson Ph: (519) 429-5188 Fax: (519) 429-3094 [email protected] Quebec Sales Josée Crevier Ph: (514) 425-0025 Fax: (514) 425-0068 [email protected] Western Sales Manager Tim Shaddick [email protected] Ph: (604) 264-1158 Fax: (604) 264-1367 Production Artist -Kelli Kramer Canadian Biomass is published six times a year: February, April, June, August, October, and December. Published and printed by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Printed in Canada ISSN 0318-4277 Circulation Carol Nixon e-mail: [email protected] P.O. Box 51058 Pincourt, QC J7V 9T3 Subscription Rates: Canada -1 Yr $49.50; 2 Yr $87.50; 3 Yr $118.50 Single Copy -$9.00 (Canadian prices do not include applicable taxes) USA – 1 Yr $60 US; Foreign – 1 Yr $77 US Occasionally, Canadian Biomass magazine will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission ©2012 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.canadianbiomassmagazine.com 4 Canadian BIOMASS AUGUST 2008
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