The plant, supplied by Nexterra Energy Corporation and part financed by the Canadian federal and British Columbia provincial governments, will replace high-cost natural gas and move the mill closer to energy self-sufficiency.
The system will save the mill more than C$1.5m in annual fuel costs and reduce Tolko’s greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 tonnes per year.
Syngas biofuel created by the Nexterra plant will replace natural gas in veneer drying operations and hot water production for log conditioning.
Tolko and Nexterra are looking at ways of extending the technology to other Tolko mills.
British Columbia’s provincial government minister of energy, mines and petroluem resources has hailed the project as a great example of the innovative use of biomass for energy production. The province is addressing the concept in the development of its new bioenergy strategy.
