2015 AGM & CONFERENCE Welcome to Halifax! Our decision to move the popular Wood Pellet Association of Canada annual event to the East Coast was driven largely by the proximity to our members’ two major markets – Europe and the Northeastern U.S. Our members are concentrated in regions across the country, with production railed, trucked and shipped across the ocean to power generators, distribution centres, stores and businesses in almost a dozen countries. For product bound for Europe, the Port of Halifax offers an ice-free, year round, deep water port, served by most of the world’s major shipping lines and is among the shortest distances to central Europe through the eastern ports. This year’s conference is kicked off with a spectacular tour of the Port of Halifax including three specialized terminals – Ocean, Richmond and Halterm – which feature the Halifax Grain Elevator dry bulk storage silos and the CN rail yards. The Halifax Grain Elevator is situated west of Ocean Terminals and is connected to Pier 26 and Pier 28, which is equipped with six towers capable of delivering up to 900 tons of pellets per hour. The port tour then continues on by bus to visit both of Nova Scotia’s wood pellet production facilities, Shaw Resources in Shubenacadie and Scotia Atlantic Biomass in Middle Musquodoboit. The tour begins promptly at 10 a.m., immediately following this year’s AGM held at the beautiful Halifax Seaport Market at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3. An alternative to the port and plant tour is also offered on Tuesday afternoon; the Wood Pellet Quality Certification Workshop, with moderators Chris Wiberg of the Biomass Energy Laboratory and Gilles Gauthier of the European Pellet Council. This three-hour workshop will provide an overview of the international pellet standards such as ISO, CSA, ENplus, CAN Plus, PFI, where they are applied and a review of pellet quality certification schemes and how to obtain certification. No matter how informative and useful the workshop and tour may be, the highlight of Day 1 is sure to be the East Coast Kitchen Party, held in the Alexander Keith Brewery District. For our European, U.S. and western Canadian delegates, this will likely be your first experience at an east coast kitchen party, but we promise it will be unforgettable. Local live music, food and drink will be plentiful as you experience true local culture! This year’s conference theme is Fuelling the Future , as we explore the growing number of sectors utilizing wood pellet biomass. The conference features some of the top speakers in the industry, including William Strauss who will be presenting, A Strategy to Decarbonize the American Power Sector . Don’t miss the Commercial Biomass Solutions segment, which will explore the opportunities for growth and existing applications of biomass in business and industry. The Fuel of the Future session features Deborah Keedy of Drax Power on the ever-important topic of sustainability. This segment will also cover vital facts on the sustainability requirements in the Netherlands. Threats and Opportunities and a unique session on the economics of the supply chain will be compelling for producers and pellet consumers alike. And back by popular demand – the Power Panel! This unique session combines some of the leading European industrial pellet consumers with some of the largest pellet producers for a lively and informative debate. (Any panel with Henry Pease, RWE is always lively!) And new to the conference, Biomass Solutions Biomasse will be showcasing their new pellet delivery truck, which will be parked inside the Cunard Center. As we prepare for another robust heating season in North America and a year of changing regulatory, subsidy and sustainability issues, the WPAC Conference is the navigation tool you need for Fuelling the Future ! Meet us in Halifax to network, inform, educate and enjoy! Look forward to seeing you there. MICHELE REBIERE President, Wood Pellet Association of Canada 22 Canadian BIOMASS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
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