take countless man-hours to switch the teeth from one side to the other, the com-pany installed a reversing mechanism. There were also significant improve-ments made to several systems, already in place, that needed increased efficiency to meet production targets. The dies in the presses are now replaced once a specific throughput threshold has been hit, pro-viding the most efficient operation level possible. There were also changes made to the system for preventative main-tenance, spark detection, information tracking and reporting for elements like moisture control and production. All of the changes, as Millington ex-plained during our tour of the facility, were made to remove any bottlenecks found in the operation that were prevent-ing the plant from running as efficiently as possible. As each issue was identified, a solution was found and put in place, al-lowing the company to move to the next area needing attention. FIBRE ISSUES Even as operational challenges have been overcome, the struggle continuously re-turns to the idea of right-priced biomass, the primary difficulty facing the operation. “We have had some challenges in making sure that we have the right-priced fibre coming in to this facility,” Millington says. “For now, we are building our fibre supply at the right price to be profitable at this facility.” That right price is more of a case of supply than anything. Originally, the Scotia Atlantic plant was built to run in conjunction with a sawmill, feeding the pellet mill shavings, chips and sawdust from lumber production. Instead, Scotia Atlantic has to buy fibre from logging contractors and sawmill operators with-out the establishment of the value chain. And establishing the value chain starts with a renewed belief in the stability of the forest industry, and the stability of the Scotia Atlantic operation. In the western part of the province, a consortium is coming together to help the government establish best practices for managing the lands that the provincial government purchased from Several improvements have been made to increase efficiency at the plant, including installing a new ID fan in the MEC dryer. Canada’s advanced biofuels network Sustainable Innovation Through Teamwork $ UNIVERSITy INDUSTRy GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT www.biofuelnet.ca McGill Biomass mayjune 15.indd 1 Canadian BIOMASS 2015-05-25 11:03 AM 13
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