Thunder Bay's coal-burning generating station will be converted to use biomass.
The city's two MPPs, Michael Gravelle and Bill Mauro, made the announcement on Nov. 15 that work will begin over the next year for the plant to use “advanced biomass” as fuel.
The government said this will be the first biomass station of its kind in the world and will have a five-year contract to generate power.
By 2014, the Thunder Bay station will be the last coal-fired plant in Ontario.
“Northwestern Ontario is on the leading edge of some very exciting new mining and forestry developments,” said Gravelle, the northern development and mines minister.
“By moving off coal and converting the Thunder Bay Generating Station to advanced biomass we are cleaning our air and supporting local jobs.”
Advanced biomass is being described as a renewable fuel derived from forest or agricultural sources with similar characteristics to goal.
The province's controversial decision last November to mothball plans for plant's conversion to natural gas angered many local leaders concerned about 137 plant jobs and the potential for new gold and metal mines coming online that could require as much as 700 megawatts of new power.
