The chair of the Canadian Institute of Forestry-Newfoundland and Labrador said there are challenges — many of which are already being met — but, he said it only takes one person to trigger a multitude of changes in the industry.
The organization held its 54th annual general meeting in Gander this week (Oct. 11). It partnered with the Canadian Bioenergy Association and the provincial Department of Natural Resources to host a conference on the emerging wood pellet industry.
Speakers from across the country presented on issues such as national and international markets, production and manufacturing technologies, boiler technologies, product certification and energy wood harvesting guidelines.
Young said the wood pellet industry is increasing in interest and production in this province out of a necessity.
“With the decline of the forest industry here in the province, with the removal of the pulp and paper mills, there is really no outlet now for small diametre wood,” Young said after the conference concluded Thursday (Oct. 14).
He said with shutdowns of pulp and paper mills in Grand Falls-Windsor and Stephenville, and the cutback to two machines in Corner Brook, the sawmill industry lost their outlet for small diametre wood and sawmill residue.
“With no place to sell it, a lot of people are starting looking to wood pellets,” he said.
A few years ago, the industry suffered from a lack of wood pellet availability. That is no longer the case, Young said, due to two existing pellet plants and a third to start soon.
However, he said the delegates at the conference also learned the industry is complicated.
“Making wood pellets properly, dried and properly produced wood pellets, and distributing them is not like making spaghetti,” he said. “It is complicated and the technology behind it is complicated too.”
Young said the potential here is great, similar to how it has developed throughout Atlantic Canada, the Northwest Territories and Quebec.
“We know that it can work,” he said, adding there will become a time when industrial conversions happen in this province.
“There’s a lot to be learned and we are just at our infancy ... I think this is the start of a small movement.”
He said he thinks the route to make this happen is through pilot plants, where people can see the production in action and can be shown results.
This industry movement coincides with the beliefs of those involved with the Canadian Institute of Forestry-Newfoundland section.
“We always believe the forest is a carbon sink, with great potential to offset a lot of greenhouse gases — with proper sustainable forest management,” he said. “If we do harvest an area, we have to ensure a forest does come back and whatever we take off a plot of land is used in solid wood products or as fuel to displace fossil fuels.”
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