Your global equipment supplier for the biomass industry “There will be jobs in forestry, plant operation and silviculture, which will raise the standard of living.” ANDRITZ is one of the world’s leading suppliers of techno logies, systems, and services re lating to equipment for the bio mass pelleting industry. We offer single machines for the production of solid and liquid biofuel and waste pellets. We have the abili ty to manu-facture and supply each and every key processing machine in the pel-let production line. ANDRITZ Feed & Biofuel A/S Europe, Asia, and South America: [email protected] USA and Canada: [email protected] www.andritz.com the eventual production of fresh food – it is sure to go a long way towards changing everything. Here is what’s in the works at WFN, with construction expected to begin in 2016. A biomass 3.64 MW combined heat and power plant will provide electricity to three communities (Whitesand, Collins and Armstrong), with the remaining pow-er (electricity and steam) allocated to a wood pellet manufacturing plant of 60,000 tonnes annual capacity. Heat from the co-gen plant (which will burn hog fuel and pellet production residuals) will be used to heat the pellet plant and dry the pellet feedstock. The entire facility is anticipat-ed to provide 60 full-time and 60 seasonal (forestry) jobs. But there’s more. To prepare for people in the community to get these jobs, an ex-citing training program has been under-taken in collaboration with Confederation College in Thunder Bay. A greenhouse is planned, where waste heat will be put to good use growing healthy fresh food. A very small sawmill may be added so that pallets can be manufactured for the ship-ments of wood pellets. There is also hope that in the future, those Whitesand homes that aren’t already heated with wood can be converted to pellet heat. Revolutionary and game-changing? Yes, indeed. “This project will provide us with a steady stream of revenue through pellet production and ample reliable electricity,” says WFN business development officer Craig Toset. “There will be jobs in forest-ry, plant operation and silviculture, which will raise the standard of living. It’s money in pockets, and it’s local use of local wood. There is an optimism now and a sense of opportunity, and people can’t wait until it’s all up and running.” Toset says they have already received many calls expressing interest in purchas-ing pellets (the plant will be built next to the existing railway line to make transpor-tation easy). “It’s been really incredible, considering the fact that we are still some time away from starting production,” he says. “Each call is a boost and a sign that all the hard work that’s gone into the process to make this happen is worthwhile.” Every northern community, no matter where it is across the country (or the world for that matter) needs jobs, energy and heat, notes Brian Kurikka, manager of applied research at Confederation College. “And there is a need to manage forests as well,” he says. “A project like Whitesand makes so much sense.” He adds, “Many of us in the north support Whitesand First Nation. Projects like these mean better energy security and reliability and MARCH/APRIL 2015 20 Canadian BIOMASS
Canadian Biomass March-April 2015: Page 20
