BC Bioenergy Network funds two wood waste pilot projects
Yesterday, the $25-million provincially funded BC Bioenergy Network announced it is awarding almost $5 million in funding to two biomass pilot projects in British Columbia.
The BC Bioenergy Network has awarded $1.82 million in funding to Lignol Innovations Ltd. and a further $3 million in funding to Nexterra Energy Corp. Lignol uses biorefining technology to turn wood waste into fuel-grade bioethanol and biochemicals. Nexterra develops systems that turn wood waste into clean, renewable heat and power using biomass gasification technology.
The BC Bioenergy Network was established in April 2008 through a $25-million provincial grant. It is an industry-led association that is encouraging the development of world-class bioenergy research and technology, pilot and demonstration projects with industry and communities in key biomass resource areas. The BC Bioenergy Network has identified the following technology areas for funding support: solid wood residues, pulp and paper residues, harvesting and pelleting, agriculture residues, municipal wastewater, municipal landfill waste, municipal solid waste and community heating electricity greenhouse systems.
BC leads the country in energy production from biomass. Over 800 megawatts of biomass electricity capacity is installed in the province, enough to power 640,000 households. Pulp and paper mills meet over a third of their electricity needs through cogeneration of electricity and steam on site. In 2008, the BC wood pellet industry produced around one million tonnes of wood pellets, of which 90 per cent was exported for thermal power production overseas.
Making good use of wood waste is a no brainer for British Columbia, whose forest industry has been ravaged by the evil pine beetle. Taking the lead from the BC Energy Plan, industries are emerging to develop new and innovative uses of beetle-wood and other forest industry waste. As the bioenergy industry is discovering, there are incredible opportunities in BC and around the world for such techonology. Wouldn't it be great if this ultimately turns out to be a good news story in the forest industry.
