Heating with wood pellets is an effective way to help in the fight against climate change.
Existing coal plants can be cost-effectively repurposed to use wood pellet fuel to help the environment and reduce air pollution.
Made from renewable forest byproducts and unmerchantable material, wood pellets from Canada provide a renewable, sustainable fuel source for generations to enjoy. | Read More
Only 9% of the world’s forest are certified. Over 42% of them are in Canada, making it an ideal source for sustainable wood pellets. | Read More
WPAC members rely on sawmill waste and forest harvest residuals for the bulk of their fibre supply, allowing 100% resource use. | Read More
Whether on their own or co-fired with coal, wood pellets provide a lower carbon footprint and renewable energy source. | Read More
WPAC continues to support R&D in key wood pellet areas like safety, efficiency, fuel stability, energy content and more. | Read More
There was also an important discussion on how environmental groups are increasingly opposed to bioenergy. We must counter those claims because the entire bioenergy industry is based on the dual premises of GHG reduction and sustainability. It is essential that we convince governments and the public to continue supporting bioenergy, because without it, the bioenergy industry could vanish overnight.
A task force has been formed consisting of the European, U.S. and Canadian trade associations, along with power utilities Dong Energy, Drax Power, EON, GDF Suez, RWE and Vattenfall. The task force is collecting all relevant scientific literature regarding bioenergy, and a strategy for effective communication to governments, non-governmental organizations, and the media is under development.
One very important issue that has come to our attention is the European stance on primary forests.
Primary forest means “woodland of native species, where there is no clearly visible indication of human activity and ecological processes are not significantly disturbed.” Both the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive and the U.K.’s Sustainability Criteria for Solid and Gaseous Biomass Generators prohibit biomass from primary forests. Because a substantial portion of Canada’s working forest is classified as primary forest, we must urgently come to an agreement with the key regulators – the European Commission Directorate General for Energy and the U.K. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets – as to how Canadian biomass is to be treated.
The Argus conference was a great opportunity to gain all the latest intelligence on our industry, and all the European utilities were eager to meet producers. I recommend Canadian pellet producers give this conference serious consideration in 2013.
Originally published in Canadian Biomass - All rights reserved. Gordon Murray is executive director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada. He encourages all those who want to support and benefit from the growth of the Canadian wood pellet industry to join. Gordon welcomes all comments and can be contacted by telephone at 250-837-8821 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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