Despite being above the Arctic Circle, Fort McPherson has a forested area next to the Peel River, part of the Gwich’in Set -tlement Area. “Despite the latitude, the forest here seems quite productive, but we are still conducting surveys to assess its long-term potential and sustainability,” Mansuy says. The study also accounted for transportation distances, biomass boiler efficiency and emission factors, including the fuel used to transport the wood pellets. The transportation distance for the lo-cal supply chain to the biomass boiler was just 3.3 kilometres, al-though the researchers also modelled the GHG emissions savings based on a distance of 50 kilometres to account for future harvest -ing operations further from Fort McPherson. The transportation distance for the imported La Crete pellets is 2,900 kilometres. The researchers ultimately found that replacing diesel fuel with wood-based bioenergy resulted in GHG emissions savings of 26,623 to 32,155 tonnes of CO 2 per year over 100 years using local willow wood chips, and savings of 11,331 to 29,741 tonnes of CO 2 with imported wood pellets. Based on this model, Fort McPherson could see GHG benefits using local wood chips within zero to 20 years. With imported wood pellets, the community would see GHG benefits within two years (with a boiler conversion efficiency of 90 per cent) to 37 years (with an efficiency of 65 per cent). The range in numbers is based on the conversion efficiency of the biomass boiler, either at 90 per cent or 65 per cent. INVESTMENT POTENTIAL need to be addressed. “Sometimes we hear that bioenergy is sim-ple because, this is Canada, we have forests everywhere, it’s just a matter of shipping biomass. But, if we’re talking about the North its different. When you need to truck for thousands of kilometres on gravel or ice roads, you have to make sure you can ship the feedstock when needed, cost effectively, in every season. “In the previous study, we asked communities about the main barriers they face, and the lack of infrastructure was one of them,” he continues. “The climate in the North is also really harsh on in-frastructure, but also the logistics, for example, to store the pellets or chips because you need to maintain a constant moisture level so you need the proper equipment. All this must be taken into account at the beginning of the project development.” To address some of these issues, NRCan is looking at develop-ing guidelines for investing in a biomass system. The guidelines will include a checklist to ensure they have access to biomass and the supply chain is viable economically and sustainable for the long-term, Mansuy explains. “And we want to combine this with Indigenous knowledge and local expertise as well, just to make sure that the bioenergy project is integrated with the existing val-ues and uses and doesn’t create more pressure on the landscape. “It’s very important that the communities have the say and the vision of how the landscape is managed for different values, including biomass harvesting and bioenergy.” • These findings have several implications for Fort McPherson be -cause of the community’s immediate need to create local jobs and revenue, Mansuy says. “By investing in the local supply chain, you can create jobs and involve the people, create revenue local-ly, and you have more control over the whole project. This is very important, especially for the Indigenous leadership.” But, to ensure remote, northern communities can take advan-tage of the environmental and socioeconomic benefits of bioen -ergy, some challenges will need to be addressed. Developing sustainable practices is key to minimizing the im-pacts on the ecosystem and securing sustainable biomass supply chains. In addition, having boilers that can accept different types of feedstock, for example, will help provide greater flexibility for communities. It’s also important to have good quality feedstock so communities don’t need to spend time and money cleaning the biomass before it goes into the boiler, Mansuy says. CANADA’S PELLET MARKET 371, Boulevard des Chutes Bureau #102 Québec, QC, G1E 3G1 1-800-463-4862 551, Ferdinand Blvd. Unit 4 Dieppe, NB, E1A 7G1 1-800-931-9611 om w.c dinalsa www.car Canada has not enjoyed a strong domestic market for wood pellets and wood chips. Mansuy and his colleagues are also working to understand the business ecosystem and the issues the industry faces. “I had a Canadian company call me, they said they do a lot of business in the U.S., but asked why not in Canada? We need to understand why, and what are the barriers. Is it because of the lack of investment, the complexity of the supply chains, the competition with fossil fuels or other renewables?” Mansuy asks. “Right now, we are conducting interviews with companies to hear their perspectives about that.” Logistical infrastructure challenges along the supply chain also our team to get IN Contact yours today, or to schedule a demo! STOCK The Next Generation in Shredding Perfect Balance of Power and Performance INVENTHOR 6 SM 720.2 Trommel Screen See it in action [email protected] Canadian BIOMASS 17 2022-02-02 10:45 AM CB_EquipmentCardinal-quarter_Winter22_CSA.indd 1
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