By Cheryl Jahn

Federal Natural Resources Funds Bioenergy

Jan 17, 2018 | 2:49 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Federal Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr spent a couple of days in Prince George attending the Natural Resources Forum, first as the keynote speaker over the dinner last night and, today, to hand over some funding for a series of projects.
$3.19 million is going to Pacific Bioenergy to implement a Biomass Enhancement System, which would allow the plant to “clean” wood that was otherwise burned as waste.
“Pacific Bioenergy has struggled for a number of years to secure a fibre basket to support the pellet operations here in Prince George,” says Paul Kalil, the VP of Capital Projects. “Over the years, we realized we could access fibre that is currently being burned by finding ways to clean that fibre.”
Pacific Bioenergy is also getting $1.93 million to implement a new Dowel Laminated Timber production at a newly constructed facility.
Roughly $1.3 million has been awarded to three First Nations in Northern BC, primarily aimed at the creation of biomass energy systems that would get their communities off their reliance on diesel-generated power: $25,000 to the Tsay Keh Dene CHP Biomass Energy project, $1.16 to the Gitxsan Development Corporation, and $143,000 to the Kwadfacha First Nation.