BioMASS update BIO-COAL PROJECT GETS $1M SHOT IN THE ARM There is a $20 billion global market for bio-coal and Diacarbon Energy intends to be a part of it, thanks to a $1-million invest-ment from Sustainable Development Tech-nology Canada (SDTC). The Burnaby, British Columbia-based company, in partnership with Lafarge Can-ada, Seabird Island First Nations and Jake’s Construction, will develop a commercial demonstration production facility for its waste biomass to bio-coal process. Bio-coal is mechanically and physically equivalent to coal, but is considered carbon neutral and is produced using waste feedstock and other waste biomass. “This investment will allow us to scale up our biofuel project to provide a tech-nological demonstration for the production of bio-coal using a self-sustaining indirect heating approach,” said Diacarbon Energy president Jerry Ericsson. “Essentially we are working to convert Canada’s waste bio-mass into clean energy on a larger scale – IN BRIEF... n HALIFAX, NS According to Viridis Energy, its Sco-tia Atlantic Biomass plant is expected make its first shipment of wood pel-lets to Europe by September. When the wood-pellet plant is fully staffed and at full production, there will be 20 to 25 people on the job, many of them former employees of the failed Enligna Canada operation at the same site. As wood pellets are produced this summer, they will be trucked for storage to the Port of Halifax, with the first 25,000-metric-tonne shipload ex-pected to head to Europe in September. The plant has capacity to produce up to 10,000 tonnes per month, or a ship-load about every three months. n LAVAL, QC Airex Energy announced it has re-ceived $2.7 million in funding for the construction of a biomass torrefaction demonstration plant. With support from Sustainable Development Tech-nology Canada (SDTC), Airex Energy will complete the two tonne/hour bio-mass torrefaction demonstration plant by the end of 2013. Airex’s CarbonFX torrefaction technology removes mois-ture and volatile organic compounds from woody and agricultural biomass in order to produce a dry, blackened mate-rial known as bio-coal. The demonstra-tion plant will be developed in partner-ship with Comact Equipment Inc. n THUNDER BAY, ON Ontario Power Generation says it’s taking a closer look at whether the Mission Island Generating Station could be converted to burn biomass. Last year, the utility suspended work on converting the Thunder Bay plant from coal to natural gas. The province will stop using coal-fired plants next year. Chris Fralick, plant manager for Ontario Power Generation’s North-west Thermal, which runs the plants in Thunder Bay and Atikokan, said they are looking at other options. MarCh/april 2013 something that will contribute to a health-ier environment and Canadian economy.” Diacarbon Energy’s thermal biomass re-finery (TBR) is a system that uses a thermo-chemical process to convert biomass into bio-coal, bio-oil and syngas. Bio-coal yields more energy than the wood pellets com-monly used as a coal alternative, making it ideal for heat and power producers, which include cement facilities, combined heat and power (CHP) and district heating applica-tions as well as coal-fired power generators. WPAC 2013 CONFERENCE TO HIT VANCOUVER Pellet producers and industry colleagues are in for a treat this November, as the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) will host its expanded AGM in Vancouver. The event, held November 18-20 in scenic downtown Vancouver, will grow on the format adapted for WPAC’s last AGM held in Quebec City in late November 2012. It will include a pre-conference tour of bio-energy facilities, an ice breaker reception, a one-day conference focused on the pellet export market, and the WPAC AGM itself. For the first time it will also include a small number of value-priced table-top exhibit opportunities (priority will be given to WPAC associate members), as well as a few spon-sorship opportunities. Details on these will be announced in early April. To be added to the event’s email contact list contact Ross Anderson ([email protected]). As the official media partner of WPAC, Canadian Biomass will work with the association to develop and promote the event through both its domestic and international audiences. “We’re excited to see our industry grow, and with it our annual meeting,” says WPAC executive director Gordon Murray. “It will be a gathering of all the key players in the Cana-dian wood pellet sector, with a focus on growing our traditional and new export markets.” Visit www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca for updates. For expanded industry news and daily updates, visit www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca 6 Canadian BIOMASS
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