Biomass heating system proposed for commercial properties in North Dryden

News — 15 September 2010

Local business owners Bryan Tardiff and Louie Ricci are partnering with German owned Lambion Energy Solutions, to create a direct energy system in Dryden.

Lambion Energy, a global expert in converting biomass to energy, will assist the pair in using European cutting edge technology to create Far North Biomass.

The system will consist of a 2 megawatt pellet powered plant, which will have the ability to create enough heat energy to supply commercial businesses in a 12 km radius.

Partnered with this project will be a pellet plant in Ignace, also under the ownership of Ricci and Tardiff. The construction of the pellet plant is currently at a standstill, awaiting the results of the provincial wood supply competition, due to be complete in November. The addition of the pellet plant has the potential to employ approximately 20 to 30 local residents, fabricating wood pellets and briquettes.

“We felt it was a natural fit and opportunity, and hopefully will be the start of a network,” says Tardiff regarding the pellet plant.

The pair is hoping to go into partnership with the city of Dryden, as the province of Ontario will now allow a private business to become a utility provider. Working with the Dryden Development Corporation (DDC), Tardiff and Ricci feel confident that the city will be willing to work with them to supply cheaper and cleaner energy to the surrounding businesses, while keeping local dollars in the community.

The energy facility is scheduled to be built in the Norwill Subdivision, looking at an estimated time of completion for fall of 2011.

The plant will produce energy at 90 per cent efficiency through a hot water system, piped into surrounding commercial buildings and turned into heat at the end. Those customers who choose to take advantage of the minimal 20 to 30 per cent savings in converting to the direct energy system, will have to upgrade their current heating units to incorporate the new system.

An initial plan was to export the pellets, but Tardiff relayed, “We realized trying to take it out of this market was foolish if we could develop this market.”

The businessmen have recently sent out surveys to over 40 surrounding businesses requesting information on their current heating systems. One the surveys are returned, Tardiff and Ricci will have a better idea of the interest and the cost of conversion to customers.

Due to the high rate of efficiency, and the “green” stamp from the government, there will be many grants and rebates available to customers looking to convert to the direct energy system to replace their current heating units.

The direct energy facility can be fueled with the residual wood left over in a cutting operation (hog fuel), as well as pellets. These options will give the best end use of resources already being harvested, and leave very little waste in the logging industry.

Ricci and Tardiff have been researching this project in Europe for years now, and are seeing it as a reality in a very short time. Along with Lambion Energy who has been in the business for almost a century, the pair hopes to have the facility up and running next year, with the possibility of marketing this energy supply in the far north communities in the future.

By Ally Dunham