BioMASSupdate BC revises Boiler staffing rules The province of British Columbia has amended the Power Engineers, Boiler, Pres- sure Vessel, and Refrigeration Safety Regulation, making two changes to the safety system. The first change explains the exemption of low-pressure thermal fluid plants from pre- scribed staffing requirements. The change is intended to recognize advances in control technology for these non- pressurized systems. Changes specify that low-pressure thermal fluid plants of any size may be exempt from staffing requirements provided that they meet specific criteria. Generally, the plants may be exempted from staffing requirements if they have au- tomated control systems, com- missioning systems, functional testing programs, and mainte- nance programs that have been approved by a professional engineer. All of these docu- ments have to be registered by a provincial safety manager. Owners will be required to ensure that functional testing and maintenance programs are carried out as approved by a professional engineer. The second change amends the qualification require- ments for boiler safety officers. Previously, only first class power engineers or, in certain circumstances, second class power engineers, were eligible to become boiler safety officers. Under the revision, the prereq- uisite is that the applicant must meet the qualification require- ments of the National Board of Boiler Inspectors for obtaining a National Board Commission. The intent of this change is to broaden the skill set and prospective applicant pool for Boiler Safety Officers. The changes are effective immediately. A complete copy of the changes can be obtained from the British Columbia Safety Authority. treBio to make pellets Trebio will be the first company to set up opera- tions on the site of the former Smurfit-Stone pulp mill in the Outaouais community of Portage-du-Fort, Quebec. It will specialize in manufactur- ing wood pellets to supply the residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional markets in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The plant will have a production capacity of about 130,000 tonnes/year. The Canadian government is making an investment of $3.5 million in the form of a repay- able contribution for the start- up of the enterprise. Added to this funding is a $500,000 repayable contribution from SADC Pontiac, which is the Community Futures Develop- ment Corporation serving the area, as well as a $9-million loan from the government of Quebec. The project will ne- cessitate an overall investment of $19 million. SSPM Pontiac, a subsidiary of Green Investment Group Inc., purchased the Smurfit-Stone plant in Portage-du-Fort last February and hired local work- ers to clean, repair, and rede- velop the site for the eventual es- tablishment of firms like Trebio. SSPM Pontiac will invest some $15 million in the first phase of the project, which involves developing an industrial park to house companies that will further the economic diversifi- cation of the Pontiac area. nova sCotia Biomass power A revamped proposal has been put forward by NewPage Port Hawkesbury to supply 60 MW of biomass electricity to Nova Scotia Power. However, both activists and an expert steering panel on Nova Scotia’s natural resources strategy suggest that more study of the potential effects of the proposal on forest harvesting and subsequent ecosystem effects are needed. CanadianBIOMASS 5
Canadian Biomass May/June 2010: Page 5
