Peak positioning Pinnacle betting big in Alberta are co-firing, demand would be almost 40 million tonnes per year.” And that’s just one country (granted, a huge one). year. What would happen if several countries A few months ago, Pinnacle Renewable decided to walk the same Energy announced that it path? Having an addition-plans to build an $85-mil-al near half-million tonnes lion, 475,000-tonne wood capacity would certainly be pellet plant in Entwistle, advantageous. Alta., a little over 100 kilo-But the decision to build metres west of Edmonton. a massive wood pellet plant While I was initially sur-in Alberta doesn’t just posi-AN “ANTIQUITY” prised by the investment, GOES HIGH-TECHS tion Pinnacle for growth. It the more I thought about protects the company’s cur-it, the more I realized the rent market share. potential dividends a plant ALSO The allowable annual like this could pay. cuts for timber harvesting With an annual produc-in British Columbia are de-tion capacity already over clining in several areas, and with those 1.5-million tonnes, Pinnacle Renewable declines comes sawmill closures and less Energy is one of the world’s largest produc-available high-quality wood fibre. ers of wood pellets. By building a massive pellet plant out-By adding the 475,000-tonne capacity side of B.C., several hours away from some plant to its arsenal, Pinnacle is position-the most competitive areas in the country ing itself to be able to handle increased for high-quality fibre, Pinnacle’s new plant demands in markets overseas in Asia and should give the company new oppor-Europe. tunities to increase its fibre security in a This could prove vital if more and more cost-effective manner. countries take advantage of the carbon And if the company ever needed to neutrality of wood pellets for heating – es-temporarily shutter one of its B.C. plants pecially with so many countries agreeing due to fibre shortages, they could always to meet their emissions targets within the make up the production in the massive Paris climate accord. Entwistle facility. Think about what would happen if, Don’t get me wrong, $86 million is a say, China decided to make wood pellets big investment, but with the way Pinnacle a more significant part of its renewable en-is positioning itself for the future, it looks ergy strategy? like a pretty sound bet to me. In FutureMetrics’ Global pellet mar-Andrew Snook, Editor ket outlook in 2017, written by William Strauss, he states that if China embraced co-firing of wood pellets, even at mod-est ratios, that it would increase demand significantly. In the article he writes, “…a five per cent co-firing rate, in 2020 if only 16 per cent of China’s coal power plants estern Canada’s longest-running wood pellet producer is setting itself up for major growth next July/August 2017 Biomass, Bioenergy and Bioproducts canadianbiomassmagazine.ca Volume 17 No. 4 Editor -Maria Church (416) 510-5143 [email protected] Editor -Andrew Snook (289) 221-8946 [email protected] Contributors -Gordon Murray, Frank Peebles Editorial Director/Group Publisher -Scott Jamieson (519) 429-3966 ext 244 [email protected] Market Production Manager Josée Crevier Ph: (514) 425-0025 Fax: (514) 425-0068 [email protected] National Sales Manager Ross Anderson Ph: (519) 429-5188 Fax: (519) 429-3094 [email protected] Quebec Sales Josée Crevier Ph: (514) 425-0025 Fax: (514) 425-0068 [email protected] Western Sales Manager Tim Shaddick [email protected] Ph: (604) 264-1158 Fax: (604) 264-1367 Media Designer -Mark Ryan Circulation Manager Carol Nixon – [email protected] 450-458-0461 COO Ted Markle – [email protected] President/CEO Mike Fredericks Canadian Biomass is published six times a year: February, April, June, August, October, and December. 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No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca W Energex invests nearly $500K/year to modernize its old mill. Net laut arunt es Eped quiditaIbusam gitio Nis duci tem rae PM 40065710 4 Canadian BIOMASS JULY/AUGUST FEBRUARY 2016 2017
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