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NB hands out Crown forest biomass to eight companies

Eight allocations for Crown forest biomass have been awarded to New Brunswick companies, to be used for renewable carbon-neutral energy or to be incorporated into value-added products.
The biomass material consists of branches, tree tops and foliage not traditionally used by the forest industry. The allocations total 1,276,000 cubic metres of biomass, which the government estimates is enough to displace about 200 million litres of oil.
“Most of the biomass will be used in co-generation facilities to produce energy for use by these companies in their own facilities, and potentially surplus electricity for sale to the provincial power grid,” said Natural Resources Minister Wally Stiles.
Twin Rivers Paper Co. Inc. received the largest allocation, 308,000 cu. m. The biomass will be used to produce carbon-neutral energy for its Edmundston mill.
The other allocations were: 272,000 cu. m to AV Cell Inc. for energy production at its mill in Atholville; 221,000 cu. m to AV Nackawic Inc. for a planned co-generation facility for its mill in Nackawic; 139,000 cu. m to Lake Utopia Paper to help fuel a planned co-generation facility at its mill in St. George; 138,000 cu. m to Irving Pulp and Paper Ltd. for co-generation at its Saint John plant; 76,000 cu. m to Irving Paper Ltd. of Saint John for co-generation; 62,000 cu. m to Groupe Savoie Inc. to integrate into value-added products produced at its plant in St. Quentin; and 60,000 cu. m for the J.D. Irving Ltd. sawmill in Chipman for co-generation.
Stiles said the Department of Natural Resources has developed a Crown Land Forest Biomass Harvesting Policy and related assessment tools to ensure that biomass material is harvested in a sustainable manner. The volume of this material available in any given year will depend on the amount of wood harvested in the same year.
Sixteen proposals were received by the Department of Natural Resources in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) from parties interested in the biomass material. Individuals, corporations or other provincial bodies with existing or proposed New Brunswick-based processing facilities were eligible to apply.
“The response to the RFP was so overwhelming that the requested allocations far exceeded the level of biomass material that can be harvested on a sustainable basis,'” said Stiles.
“It is encouraging to see so many New Brunswick companies express such a strong desire to acquire Crown forest biomass for green energy projects,” said Stiles. “Our government has worked hard to develop this new forest resource and bring about the benefits it will provide for the bio-energy sector as well as a cleaner environment.”