Canadian firm to build biopellet plant for Asia

Biomass Secure Power is moving ahead with a biopellet plant on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with up to an initial 250,000 tonnes a year to be exported under a 10-year contract to Asia, chief executive Jim Carroll tells Recharge.

He says the biopellets will be co-fired with coal to help reduce carbon emissions in the region.

Carroll claims the plant will be the first in Canada to utilise a torrefication process that produces pellets containing 16% more energy per kilogram than regular wood pellets.

Torrefied pellets are resistant to water, preventing deterioration during shipment or storage. They are also more easily ground, which reduces processing costs at the utility.

The plant will use process technology developed in-house by the company, with operations scheduled to begin in fall 2012. Initial production will be white wood pellets until the torrefication production rate of 50 to 80 tonnes an hour is proven.

Once testing is completed, only torrefied pellets will be made. The company anticipates it will license its technology.

Carroll sees little problem obtaining 550,000 cubic meters a year of fiber to feed the plant on the heavily forested island.

Biomass Secure Power is about 60% privately held with the balance publicly traded on the over the counter securities market in the US.