Opasatika booming in biomass.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: FORESTRY

Results from the wrapped-up biomass estimation study indicates Opasatika has the potential to be "the biomass capital of Canada."

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An extensive two-year study conducted by Quebec-based Groupe CAF and Feric found that, within a 200-kilometre radius of Opasatika, up to three million green metric tonnes (GMT) is produced annually, though only 1.6 million will be accessible and used every year.

"Everybody thought there was going to be lots, but this shows there was even more than anyone had imagined," says Paul Nadeau, project manager with the township of Opasatika.

"The government has been looking more and more at green energy, and what better way to move forward on that than pursuing biomass as an energy source?"

Initiated by the township immediately following the closing of the local Tembec mill in 2005, the project required researchers to travel into the nearby Gordon Cosens and Hearst forests to collect, weigh and measure the biomass.

However, much of these statistics are based on the 2005-2006 logging year. As this biomass is produced in the form of bark, branches and cutting residues from forestry operations in the Gordon Cosens and Hearst forests, the available amount may be somewhat lower as various local mill closures may have resulted in less logging.

This material will be used by a series of tenants who are slated to take up residence in the township's former Tembec Excel mill, which closed its doors in 2005, putting 78 employees out of work. Scarborough-based Gilead Power Corp. and Fabrication Ecoflamme Inc. from Temiscaming, Que. have both indicated an interest in building a 10 megawatt (MW) energy generation facilities on site. In total, 200 jobs are expected to be created across the various tenants.

In fact, these numbers mean the city still has some leeway to look for additional tenants, as the study indicated that 400,000 tonnes of biomass can be used to power a 40 MW co-generation facility.

Other parties have begun to show interest in the project. London-based EverGreen Energy Corp. is now in talks with the township to consider building a co-generation plant of its own.

Now that the information has been completed, these firms will begin their due diligence by factoring the statistics into their pricing plans for the Opasatika site.

Once this work has been completed and companies fully commit to building local facilities, township officials will finalize the...