A former UK timber industry executive has helped establish a Canadian wood pellet plant which has now shipped its first volumes to these shores.
Peter Bonsall, formerly of Davidson Timber, has joined with several ex-Tembec executives including senior vice president Louis Campeau to form Trebio Wood Pellets, in conjunction with Rotterdam-based GFE Energy.
Mr Bonsall, who sold Eastern white pine to the UK and Ireland markets for Davidson, told TTJ that the first shipment – a trial load of 100 tonnes -was due in to Liverpool on September 18.
The pellet facility in Eastern Canada started production in June and has a 130,000 tonne wood pellet capacity.
Mr Bonsall said the start of production was the realisation of a dream he had shared with Mr Campeau since 2006.
“I was living in Ireland at the time and had been struggling to get hold of some wood pellets,” he said. “I thought about moving from timber to biomass – why not?”
The company is targeting the domestic and commercial markets and believes there is a big market in the wake of the government launching the Renewable Heat Incentive, which pays people to run biomass heat installations.
Mr Bonsall also cited the 5.2 million homes looking for an alternative to bottled gas and oil. Hospitals and schools are target markets, while an enquiry has been received for supplying the Olympic Village.
