Residual Biomass Ethanol in Northeast Saskatchewan

The Town of Nipawin and ten other development partners have joined together to form the New Generation Cooperativeto develop a cellulose ethanol facility in the Nipawin area. A 2002 study identified approximately one million tonnes peryear of feedstock available for cellulose-based ethanol production within one-hour hauling distance, including timberharvesting slash, sawmill residue and flax straw. Currently, it is burned generating particulate matter and greenhousegas emissions. This project will commercialize, for the first time, a combination of technologies for residual biomassconversion and will serve to demonstrate the viability of the technology on a large scale. This will increase the potentialfor replication in numerous regions of Western Canada where large amounts of forestry and agricultural wastes areavailable. The objective of the feasibility/commercialization stage of this study is to address questions relating to thesuccess of the initiative and to develop a comprehensive business plan. The Cooperative will then develop a biomassethanol plant with a capacity of 75 million litres of ethanol fuel per year. This would divert a feedstock of 150,000 drytonnes per year from burning or landfilling, provide over 70 local jobs and generate annual revenue of $37.5 million. It isestimated that it would result in a reduction of 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) based on both theelimination of wood waste burning and the replacement of gasoline with ethanol.