For immediate release
November 17, 2009
FRENCH RIVER STUDIES BIOMASS COGENERATION PLANT
The Council of the Municipality of French River announced the approval of a study to examine the economic feasibility of building a biomass cogeneration plant in the municipality’s new industrial park. The plant would generate approximately 10 megawatts of electric power, and produce steam to drive a wood pellet plant, a wood drying and finishing operation, a greenhouse complex and provide waste heat to other industries in the park. This would provide much needed jobs in the community and in the hard hit local forest industry. Mayor Collin Bourgeois said it is encouraging to have the local forest industry, and experienced industrialists join with the community to research ways to stimulate our local economy and help provide meaningful employment opportunities.
The building of a biomass cogeneration plant at the French River Industrial Park, along with possible related industries, could create direct employment for 60 to 100 people and over twice as many indirect jobs, in our community, said Economic Development Chair Ron Garbutt. This could be one small step in helping Ontario Power Authority reduce their large dependence on coal to generate power in Northern Ontario.
Two long time French River timber harvesting companies, Lahaie Lumber and Jules & Fils (formerly Chartrand Lumber) have joined with AnMar Mechanical & Electrical Contractors Ltd., an experienced Sudbury industrial company, and our Municipality to form a consortium to explore the economic feasibility and all aspects of establishing this business in our industrial park. They have commissioned seasoned forestry experts Litchfield Forestry Services to carry out a study to determine the practicality and the processes required to establish this project at our site. This study is being done at no cost to the Municipality.
Lahaie Lumber is a fourth generation family company started in 1942 by Hormidas Lahaie Jr. and now owned and operated by his great grandson Mike Lahaie at their Alban plant which is almost right across the road from the new industrial park. Azarie Chartrand first started their lumber mill in Noëlville in 1920. This business continues under the ownership and management of Jules Chartrand and his family. Both of these local companies harvest white and red pine, and spruce logs from our area forests, sawing them into dimensional; lumber which is generally shipped to southern Ontario and the Northern U.S. as “green” lumber. This harvesting and sawing process produces large quantities of biomass, made up of sawdust, bark, wood chips and wood waste. This biomass, along with that of other area mills and woodlands operations will make up the feed stock for the proposed cogeneration plant.
AnMar Ltd. is an international industrial company headquartered in its large modern plant and office in Sudbury, carries on businesses throughout Canada and the US, South Africa, South America, Europe and the Far East. They provide mechanical and electrical fabrication and installation for heavy industries and power generation projects. AnMar is currently involved in power generation projects in Hornepayne, Sault Ste. Marie and White River. Their many years of experience in heavy industry and power generation will be invaluable to this project.
Mike Lahaie says that the forest industries have been devastated in recent years by the downturn of construction in Ontario and the U. S.; the cantankerous NAFTA softwood lumber agreement; unfavourable currency fluctuation and the substantial reduction in the use of pulp and paper in North America. A cogeneration plant which uses biomass as feedstock will provide many jobs in the forest and mills to collect and deliver wood waste to the industrial park plant site.
AnMar project manager David Vitone views the industrial park as the ideal site to locate this plant. It is a few hundred feet from the new, soon to be constructed, four lane highway 69 – 400 highway 64 interchange, along which much of the feedstock for the plant will travel. The park is right beside the busy CPR transcontinental main rail line and has a double track rail siding at highway 64. The proposed plant site is largely made up of exposed bed rock which will provide a safe and secure foundation for the industrial buildings. AnMar engineer Steven Lee says the plant would use the new advanced biomass pre-processing and combustion technology which along with the electrostatic precipitators will assure that emissions will meet and exceed Ontario’s strict environmental standards.
Discussions have been held with the N’Swakamok First Nations cooperative, which is a partnership of our areas’ five first nations, to assure that the wood waste from their forest cutting areas is used in the proposed plant and that job opportunities will be available to first nation workers. Negotiations are ongoing with the Ontario Power Authority for the sale of the electrical power and with Hydro One to identify the most efficient method to connect this new power into their Northern Ontario grid. Our municipality has made application to MNR to acquire the crown land east of our existing industrial land for the site of some of the proposed buildings. The Municipality has applied to both the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and Fednor for funding assistance with the development of the industrial park.
If this study indicates that there is merit in proceeding, then a detailed environmental study will be undertaken to assure that all aspects of the project meet or exceed all of the regulatory requirements. An important part of this process will be public information forums to ensure that the community is made aware of the scope and scale and location of this important project. Suggestions and comments from French River citizens are welcome at all stages of the process.
Mayor Collin Bourgeois has indicated his strong desire to have an open and transparent process so that, as information becomes available, it is communicated to everyone interested. With the help of local and regional media and public forums, we will continue to provide updates on project activities. We encourage and welcome suggestions and comments which can be forwarded to Marc Pellerin, Economic Development Officer at mpellerin@frenchriver.ca or at 898-2294.
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