Sustainable Issues? There’s enough fi bre, and nutrients, to go around. S ustainability means many things for biomass. First, there’s site sustainability, or the question of how much we can harvest, where, and how. This is the subject of a new column by Evelyne Thiffault of Natural Resources Canada, which she’ll address on page 8. We’re all learning as we go, including Evelyne, so I look forward to her keep- ing this topic on the front burner each issue. It’s only renewable energy if the forest is renewed. There’s also economic sustainability – Can we get the biomass out of the bush cost-effectively? That’s where our other new columnist, Mark Ryans of FPInnovations (Feric), comes in. He’s been studying residual biomass har- vesting, processing, and hauling for decades and has agreed to share his findings regularly with Canadian Biomass. His fi rst column is on page 29. Finally, there’s the traditional forest products sector. Lately we’ve heard that the demand for biomass may threaten access to affordable fibre for existing players. Those at risk include panel plants using sawmill residuals and pulp mills using low-grade fi bre. Change can be threaten- ing, especially to those who’ve called the shots for decades when it comes to if, when, and at what price they’ll use lower-grade material. So industry associations like the US-based AF&PA are expressing concern about the growing bio- mass sector. There are worries about “distort- ing fi bre markets,” as if the status quo were sacred, or about fi bre being diverted to “lower value uses,” as if affordable heating were less important than paper for ad flyers. It’s good dinner debate, but the way the 4 CanadianBIOMASS biomass sector is developing in Canada, we may not need to argue. First, the bioenergy sec- tor cannot afford to simply outbid traditional players for all its fi bre. It must stay competitive with other energy sources, including hydro, coal, and wind/solar. Even when biomass is free, it’s hard to break even after the haul distance exceeds 150 km or so. Biomass will be part of a strong forest products sector for some time to come. The way the biomass sector is actually developing should also quell concerns. The spotlight is on harvest residues that are not used by traditional industry. If anything, minimum top diameters have in- creased in recent years with poor lumber mar- kets, leaving more in the woods, not less. In other areas, we’re talking about material that’s ill-suited for manufacturing, like beetle kill wood or off-species. Finally, there are massive volumes of wood that aren’t being harvested simply because the traditional players are gone. In southeastern Ontario and New York, low-grade fibre used to go to the now closed Domtar pulp mill in Cornwall. Five pulp mills have closed in the part of New Brunswick now called the Dark Crescent, freeing over 1.6 million m3 /yr, not counting harvest residuals. Large regions of Quebec and Ontario have seen permanent closures, as has most of Saskatchewan. These are vast potential supplies. They also show that in parts of Canada, the traditional forest sector has lost its right to lead. It’s time to follow, or get the hell out of the way. • Scott Jamieson, Editor/Group Publisher [email protected] BIOMASS Volume 2 Editor/Group Publisher - Scott Jamieson (514) 457-2211 ext 24 [email protected] Field Editor - Heather Hager (519) 429-3966 ext 261 [email protected] Western Editor - Jean Sorensen Market Production Manager Josée Crevier (514) 457-2211 ext 21 [email protected] National Sales Managers Tim Tolton - [email protected] 450-458-4341 Guy Fortin - [email protected] 90 Morgan Rd, Unit 14 Baie d’Urfé, Que H9X 3A8 Ph: (514) 457-2211 Fax: (514) 457-2558 Western Sales Manager Tim Shaddick - [email protected] 1660 West 75th Ave Vancouver, B.C. V6P 6G2 Ph: (604) 264-1158 Fax: (604) 264-1367 Production Artist - Brooke Shaw Canadian Biomass is published four times a year; March, June, September, and December. Published and printed by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc., and distributed as a supplement to Canadian Forest Industries and Canadian Wood Products magazines. Printed in Canada ISSN 0318-4277 Circulation e-mail: [email protected] Tel: (514) 457-2211 Fax: (514) 457-2558 Mail: 90 Morgan Rd, Unit 14 Baie d’Urfé, Que H9X 3A8 Subscription Rates: Canada - 1 Yr $48; 2 Yr $85; 3 Yr $115 Single Copy - $6.00 (Canadian prices do not include applicable taxes) USA – 1 Yr $44 US; 2 Yr $75 US Foreign – 1 Yr $75 US From time to time, we at Canadian Biomass make our subscription list available to reputable companies and organizations whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission ©2008 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. 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.canadianforestindustries.ca AUGUST 2008
Canadian Biomass December 2008: Page 4
