County of Hastings Biomass Project

The County of Hastings will test the feasibility of biomass cogeneration as a sustainable alternative for disposing wood waste. The county supports a forest industry that generates a large quantity of wood waste. Waste that is not used for products such as mulch, fiberboard and animal bedding, is landfilled. Because of potential threats to soil and groundwater from the leachate, Ontario Ministry of the Environment regulations about landfilled wood waste are anticipated in the near future. Freymond Lumber, a locally owned mid-sized sawmill, has partnered with the County to examine alternate, sustainable solutions. A three-year investigation of potential technologies has identified a biomass cogeneration facility, using technology developed in Scandinavia, as the preferred alternative. In this feasibility study the technical and financial viability of the project will be examined and a preliminary design will be completed. The cogeneration facility is estimated to be able produce 10MWe of heat and power per year. When compared to the equivalent amount of heat and power generated from conventional sources, it will reduce annual GHG emissions by 71,900 tonnes/year of CO2, 113 tonnes/year of NOx and 762 tonnes/year of SOx. It will also divert wood waste from the municipal landfills, reduce additional GHG emissions from the decomposition of wood waste, and eliminate leachate from entering the soil and groundwater.