Groupe de Scieries GDS installed Andritz pellet mills in the Lac-au-Saumon pellet plant. the pellet market for several years. However, the company did not have the wherewithal to make such an investment. When it be-came clear that the Pure Pellets facility in Lac-au-Saumon might become available, they seized the opportunity. “The timing was good,” says Deschênes, noting that presence of an existing building and the electrical infrastructure formed a good foundation. “If we had started from scratch, this project would have cost us $35 to $40 million to start up. But with the existing equipment and infrastructure in place, we only needed an additional $18 million to get things up to scratch.” GDS invested in Concept-Air’s handling and storage, dust re-moval and blower equipment, due to the company’s pellet plant construction expertise. GDS also purchased pellet mills from An-dritz as well as a biomass boiler from Wellons to dry the bark. This boiler was key as it enabled the company to make extensive use of the bark, which accumulates rapidly at times. GDS also called upon some local companies to supply other equipment, including Automation d’Amour to handle program-ming and controls, André Roy Électrique for the electricity, and TR3E for the engineering. Construction was done by JMR, Con-struction Audace and Entreprise Lucien Michaud. “We are now able to add value here in Quebec,” says Georges Deschênes, the company’s vice-president of operations and corpo-rate development. “This is far preferable to sending raw material to Turkey. “This investment also enables Groupe de Scieries GDS to se-cure a stable price for its output instead of being subjected to the fluctuating price of raw material residue,” he concludes. • “If we had started from scratch, this project would have cost $35 to $40 million to start up.” CB_WellonsGroup_Spring22_CSA.indd 1 Canadian BIOMASS 2022-04-14 11:42 AM 11
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