BURNINGissues BIOMASS EN MASSE WBA SETS THE WORLD ON FIRE Gatineau, QC – According to a paper presented by Francois Fortin of Quebec’s MNR at the well-attend- ed Value from Biomass workshop held in Gatineau at the end of April, Quebec has a lot more forest biomass available than many had thought. Adding together Crown and private land, Fortin estimates there is up to 15 million m3 able to the emerging biomass sector in Quebec alone. He converts this to some 6.5 million tons of both hardwood and softwood (roughly 33% and 67% respectively). www. quebecwoodexport.com/biomasse. /yr avail- önköping, Sweden – The World Bioenergy Association (WBA) was formed this past May during World Bioenergy, held here in southern Sweden. Douglas Bradley, president of the Canadian Bioenergy Association (CANBIO) was appointed to represent Canada as a board member in the newly formed association. “Finding the best paths for sus- tainable biomass use is a global challenge, requiring global solutions,” Bradley said immediately after the announcement. “The bioenergy industry is frag- mented compared to other renewables such as wind and solar power; biomass ranges from animal waste to leftover wood, and end uses range from heat and power to renewable products that can replace synthetic chemicals and plastics. But for bioenergy to take off, we need to speak with one voice. That’s what the World Bioenergy Association is all about.” The WBA aims to be a global voice for bioenergy, J CANBIOʼs Doug Bradley at the World Bioenergy Association launch in Sweden this past May. and to promote the use of biomass in a sustainable and economically effi cient way. The organization will also promote the trade of biofuels and biomass, the standardization of fuels, technical development and research. It also plans to develop certifi cation systems to ensure that bioenergy is produced in an environ- mentally friendly way, and under acceptable working conditions. Chaired by Kent Nyström, president of the Swedish Biomass Association, intended members include Canada, the US, Japan, Australia, India, Brazil, Sweden, and other EU countries. CO-FIRING MOVES TO PHASE 2 AT ONTARIO POWER GEN Nanticoke, ON – The Cana- dian News Wire reported in early June that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has launched Phase 2 of its biomass testing at the massive coal-fired Nanticoke Generating Station in this small community 30 minutes from Hamilton. OPG is currently testing the use of biomass as a renewable energy source for Ontario. Biomass used in OPG’s program consists primarily of wood pellets and agricultural byproducts such as grain screen- ings and milling spoils that can be burned to generate electricity. OPG does not use food crops in its biomass program, but has The test biomass infeed co-firing system at OPGʼs massive Nanticoke coal-fired power generating station. 10 CanadianBIOMASS created a pilot project infeed system to mix some biomass with coal to partially fi re in one of its generators, a trial Canadian Biomass visited back in Novem- ber 2007. “We continue to look for opportunities to reduce the impact of our station on the en- vironment,” said Nanticoke GS plant manager Frank Chiarotto. “Co-fi ring coal with biomass could provide us with an option to reduce our environmental footprint. The Phase 2 test pro- gram is a significant milestone as it will involve longer duration test burns”. To date, the station has successfully co-fired milling byproducts with coal to produce over 1.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity; enough power to meet the energy needs of 1,300 Ontario homes for one month. SOME HOT CHANCES Washington, DC – A new report from World Resources Institute, an environmental think-tank that counts Al Gore among its directors, sees a raft of opportunities for tra- ditional forest products players in the new world of climate change, bioenergy, biomass harvesting and processing, and carbon sequestra- tion. The key will be imagina- tion, a sustainable base of forest operations, and making the right decisions over the next few years. In brief, this brave new world is ours to lose. “The particular consequences for each forest products company will likely differ widely, with new winners and losers emerging based on strategic decisions by both investors and corporate leaders over the near and medium term. Companies with experience in sustainable forest management > AUGUST 2008
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