Conversion to biomass intensifies on Prince Edward Island

Following is an English translation of the Radio Canada news piece that was done by Kent South NSG  using Google Translator. We apologize for any translation errors, but the gist of article is the same.  Congratulations to this Cocagne native and his passion to make a difference.

Prince Edward Island is using forest residues to heat its schools and hospitals, and the craze for this source of stable and economic energy is growing.  The heating system of new schools, hospitals and homes are already converted to use biomass. More than a dozen other institutions will follow within two years.  Biomass is the cheapest source of energy. The savings are on average 15% to 20 % compared to fossil fuels. The island government saves $ 120,000 per year in heating costs.

In New Brunswick , the contractor Mathieu LeBlanc is cutting of trees of lower quality to allow more room for trees to live longer and have greater commercial value, such as spruce, maple, white pine. Wood that has no capacity for sawing is being made ​​into paper or chips.

"My logging practices can heat a school for one year with the amount of biomass that is being cut every two weeks ," said Mathieu LeBlanc.

Mathieu LeBlanc cut the wood in New Brunswick , but it is on the Island of Prince Edward Island that transforms and sells chips to produce energy.

The chips are delivered by another Acadian, Dick Arsenault of the Evangeline region.  It was he who developed the boilers that will burn the wood chips for space heating and water heating.

"It's been seven years since I worked on the design and concept. It took a lot of time in the beginning to make them see what I wanted to do.  We have already installed five systems, and has more coming on line, "says Dick Arsenault, ACFOR of Energy.

Dick Arsenault and Mathieu LeBlanc work as a small energy company . They do not sell the chips or the boiler.  It costs the province nothing to convert to biomass.  The government will pay only for the energy that its buildings consume. That is where the concept is revolutionary.

"It costs them nothing . It cost the province nothing to the province. This is our own money. There is no government money in these projects. The only thing we require is a 20-yeR contract to heat the school. It's really appealing for them. It costs them nothing in capital."

-Dick Arsenault, ACFOR Energy

The cost of energy from wood chips is not influenced by international markets as is the case for gas or oil. The cost can fluctuate with the exception of inflation. This provides energy that is more stable.

"Biomass is produced locally, so you do not need to import [ oil ] or natural gas. That is why it is much cheaper.  It is not tied to global markets.  The technology and existing forests to produce wood chips is available locally, so no need to plant.  This is why the cost of biomass is less. "

- Mathieu LeBlanc , entrepreneur

When Mathieu LeBlanc and Dick Arsenault began in 2008,  few people believed in their project. In the midst of economic crisis and forestry, factories closed one after the other. Today the situation has changed.

In Finland, 85% of renewable energy comes from forest biomass.  Mathieu LeBlanc believes that it is quite conceivable achieve the same in Canada. "The Finns converted when they were cut off from [oil] by Russia. Finland has many forests. Yes, it is very conceivable.", he said.

J.D. Irving scientific adviser blindsided by new forest policy

Company's forest research advisory council wasn't consulted about reduced conservation forest

CBC News   ::   Mar 19, 2014 

Jim Irving defends New Brunswick forest practices, expanded cut

A 15-year member of J.D. Irving Ltd's forest research advisory committee says six PhDs who comprise the committee were never asked about the possible impacts of reducing the conservation forest in New Brunswick.

Marc-Andre Villiard has been a member of J.D. Irving Ltd.'s forest research advisory committee for 15 years. (CBC)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/j-d-irving-scientific-adviser-blindsided-by-new-forest-policy-1.2578781

As part of the new forest policy unveiled by the Alward government last week, the area that is off limits to industrial forest practices is reduced to 23 per cent of Crown land, down from the 2012 threshold of 28 per cent.

Some scientists maintain that a 30 per cent threshold for conservation forest is needed to maintain biodiversity and forest sustainability.

Marc-André Villard, a biologist specializing in ecology and conservation of forest diversity, has been a member of Irving's forest research advisory committee and says the group has never been asked about the new plan.

"We have never been told about the details of this upcoming plan," Villard told CBC's Harry Forestell in the newsmaker interview on Wednesday's supper hour news program.

"We had heard about it, but only rumours," he said. "And we were not consulted whatsoever on the contents of the plan."

'We had heard about it, but only rumours. And we were not consulted whatsoever on the contents of the plan.'

- Marc-André Villard, member of J.D. Irving Ltd. forest research advisory committee

Had he been consulted, Villard said he would have raised the same concerns he has voiced on the committee for 15 years.

"I think I've been the one who has voiced most concerns about the intensity of forestry and its potential effects on my focal group, which is forest songbirds and woodpeckers," he said. "Definitely, I would have voiced the same concerns."

The 2012 reduction of conservation forest to 28 per cent of Crown land was enough to raise concern, he said.

"Myself and other researchers expressed concern [in 2012], so you can imagine how we feel about this new strategy that was proposed without any consultation from scientists."

More on the Crown foresty debate in New Brunswick

Villard said J.D. Irving Ltd. is clear with the researchers about what it seeks from them, "They want advice. They don't commit to apply everything that we proposed, of course.

"And they're willing to apply anything that doesn't change the bottom line, basically. That is pretty clear at the outset."

In a CBC radio interview last week, J.D. Irving Ltd. co-chief executive Jim Irving referred to the company's panel of six PhDs and said if he was shown "good science" that the company's actions were harmful to the forest, he would change direction.

"There is a conversation going on as we speak to try to figure out whether Mr. Irving was actually referring to us or another group that I don't know of," said Villard. 

David Coon demands details of Irving forest deal be made public

Green Party leader says contract between J.D. Irving Ltd. is unprecedented

CBC News   ::  Mar 19, 2014

Related Stories

New forestry plan provides more Crown wood to industry

New Crown forestry plan greeted with shock, dismay

Irving clout with government challenged in wake of forest deal

The leader of the Green Party in New Brunswick is calling for the public release of the contract the Alward government signed with J.D. Irving Ltd. to guarantee wood supply from Crown land.

The forestry company holds a licence that authorizes it to cut timber on Queen-Charlotte-Fundy block of Crown land.

Jim Irving, the co-chief executive of J.D. Irving Ltd., and Green Party Leader David Coon discuss the province's new forestry strategy following last week's announcement. (Alan White/CBC)

Coon says under the Crown Lands and Forests Act, Irving is already authorized to cut Crown timber for 25 years and is required to describe its plant investments and employment levels for a 10-year period.

One week ago, the Alward government announced it would allow a 21 per cent increase in the amount of softwood that can be cut on Crown land.

J.D. Irving Ltd. will receive 60 per cent of the increased allocation of 660,000 cubic metres of softwood, the legislature was told last week.

"New Brunswickers and First Nations have a right to know what David Alward has signed away to the Irvings," said Coon.

"I am concerned that this contract obligates New Brunswickers to compensate J.D. Irving if public efforts to rebuild local forest economies, establish community forests, resolve aboriginal title, or increase conservation measures in the future diminishes the amount of wood the government has agreed to provide the company over the long term," said Coon.

"I worry this contract handcuffs the hands of future government to the policies of the Alward government," he said.

Coon maintains the contract signed with J.D. Irving Ltd. is unprecedented and has no legal basis under the Crown Lands and Forest Act.

"First Nations and all New Brunswickers have  a right to see what obligation the Alward government has imposed on us with this contract," said Coon.

Natural Resources Minister Paul Robichaud said Wednesday at the legislature that the agreements between the government and forest companies will be announced publicly after an initial round of announcements by industry.

Robichaud said financial information on the companies may be redacted, but details on the allocation of wood will be made public.

"As soon as we finish our round of announcements and as soon as we finish signing contracts with different companies, our intention was not only to make public the information related to Mr. Irving's company but all the companies that will sign contracts with the province of New Brunswick," said Robichaud.

Twin Rivers Paper Company is scheduled to make an announcement at the Tobique-Plex in Plaster Rock on March 27.

The announcement had been scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed due to the weather forecast.

Twin Rivers operates a lumber sawmill in Plaster Rock. It also operates a pulp mill in Edmundston, which feeds the company's paper mill across the St. John River in Madawaska, Me.