The Bioenergy Rush

Tell the average Canadian that the 16 million tonnes of excess tree bark in this country has an energy content in the same order of magnitude as Alberta's tar sands, and they'd look a tad suspicious. Add another 1 1 million tonnes of harvest waste burned or left to rot, and the suspicion grows. And then mention the massive pine beetle devastation in BC, with infestation rates of 90 million m3 of wood in 2006 and one billion m3 expected by 2016. Then mention the dry nature of this wood, and the increase in forest fires out west. If the eyebrows haven't risen enough yet, mention tnat the pine beetle is taking up residence across Canada's boreal forests, starting in northern Alberta. In the eight months since RESOP was launched, contracts for wind energy have reached nearly 300 MW, solar has jumped from zero to almost 60 MW, and bioenergy to almost 28 MW. Although contracted bioenergy projects have focused on landfill gas, RESOP has great potential to support bioenergy growth in Ontario. Recently, Abitibi-Consolidated and the Ontario MNR announced an $83-million biomass boiler in Abitibi's fledgling Fort Frances operation. It will use the mill's bark, sludge and slash, and purchase wood waste from sawmills to produce all of the mill's steam and to power its 50-MW steam turbine. This will secure over 600 jobs, and create about 50 new jobs in biomass harvesting and transport. It will also buffer the mill from soaring gas and electricity costs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 90%.