A dozen Northern Ontario biomass projects will share in $6 million in provincial funding, announced on March 1.
The capital comes from the province’s Forest Biomass Program, in which the province said it’s making a “historic” investment of $60 million.
“This new Forest Biomass Program funding will grow businesses, strengthen communities and put workers to work,” said Graydon Smith, minister of natural resources and forestry, in a news release.
“We are investing in the technology, the people and the expertise that drive our forest sector into the future — and together, we are achieving our government’s plan for forest sector prosperity.”
Recipients of the funding include:
- Hornepayne Power (Hornepayne), which will receive $2,500,000 toward a feasibility study of on-site hydrogen production using forest biomass;
- Commercial Bioenergy (Kirkland Lake), which will receive $1,635,283 toward the construction of two wood-chipping sites to fulfill local energy needs;
- Millson Forestry Service (Timmins), which will receive $500,600 to purchase mulching equipment;
- I.C.S. (Lacroix) Lumber Inc. (Hallébourg), which will receive $62,500 for the purchase of a second wood pellet press for the company’s existing production line;
- Apitipi Anicinapek Nation (Kirkland Lake), which will receive $250,000 to help the community prepare for forest biomass opportunities;
- Batchewana First Nation (Sault Ste. Marie), which will receive $250,000 to look at the feasibility of a proposed forest biomass conversion company that would supply a facility producing low-carbon renewable fuel and biocoal from forest biomass;
- Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve (Nairn Centre), which will receive $250,000 toward a feasibility study of a biochar/biocoal product to be developed at a proposed pellet plant facility;
- Wahkohtowin Development GP Inc. (Wawa), which will receive $188,000 to study the feasibility of a forest biomass yard;
- Daki Menan Lands and Resources Corporation (Temagami), which will receive $147,500 to recruit and train local Indigenous youth for biomass-related opportunities;
- Missanabie Cree First Nation (Missanabie), which will receive $130,000 to identify forestry-related development opportunities;
- GreenFirst Forest Products (Kapuskasing), which will receive $120,000 for a detailed engineering feasibility study for a modern cogeneration plant; and
- Walker Environmental Group (northeastern Ontario), which will receive $100,000 to examine the use of biomass as a source of renewable gas and other low-carbon energy projects.
