FORT ST. JAMES – With funding from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), uneconomic residual fibre is being delivered from locations farther from town to BioNorth Energy, a joint venture partnership between Arrow Group of
Companies (Arrow), the Nak’azdli Development Corporation (NDC), the economic development arm of the Nak’azdli First
Nation, and low-carbon infrastructure developer, Nexus PMG.
The project, which began in the fall of 2023 after an intense wildfire season, will finalize this winter, helping reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere while also generating economic and social benefits for the community of Fort St. James.
“I want to commend the work of Arrow, NDC and Nexus PMG,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests, in a news release. “By getting residual fibre out of our forests and into the hands of those who need it and can use it, they are creating jobs and revenue from what would have once been waste. During times of uncertainty, they show that by working together, the forest sector and communities can have a major impact in ensuring forestry workers continue to have stable and steady jobs.”
The project focuses on grinding residual logging debris into feedstock for BioNorth Energy, a 40-mega-watt biomass power
generation plant in Fort St. James.
“We have completed grinding projects within a 3-hour drive of BioNorth Energy. We grind approximately 200,000 cubic
metres worth of slash piles every year that are used to produce clean energy,” said Greg Kilba, Division Manager, Portable Wood Processing and Log Buyer at Arrow. “Historically, many of these waste piles would have been outside of our
economic zone and would have traditionally been burnt by industry and government.”
According to Chris McGourlick, RPF, Operations Manager with FESBC, the estimated fibre utilization from this project is
equivalent to 4,635 truckloads. By grinding these slash piles that would otherwise be burnt, collaborators are taking action
on climate change.
“The total greenhouse gas emissions avoided as a result of this work is 36,191 tonnes of avoided emissions, which is the
equivalent of 7,817 vehicles off the road,” said McGourlick.
The slash piles are now being utilized to create green energy in Fort St. James, adding value to the community by creating
jobs for local community members and supporting primary services like the BioNorth facility, as well as secondary services
such as tire shops and gas stations.
“Fibre utilization is more important than ever in our goal to reduce carbon emissions,” said Tyler Dixon, Division Manager with Arrow in Fort St. James. “The grinding group directly has close to 30 high-paying full-time positions, and BioNorth has around the same. This is money that stays in the communities we operate in and plays a large role in local economies. We also strive to support as many local businesses as possible for our service/parts needs, which is another way we are able to support our communities.”
As the Nak’azdli First Nation owns around 40 per cent of BioNorth, it has invested a significant amount of money and effort
to position its members and community to enjoy a more prosperous and sustainable future.
“The opportunity to invest in a clean energy project within the traditional territory of Nak’azdli Whut’en aligns with
stewardship values while providing a long-term equity source that will benefit the community today and for future generations,” said John-Paul Wenger, Chief Executive Officer of NDC.
FESBC has played a crucial role in bridging the gap of being able to utilize more fibre with an incremental amount of money.
The total project funding amounted to $1,867,000, which helped cover the cost of delivering the fibre to the facility.
As Kilba noted, each load delivered to the plant that has required additional funding represents 1.6 person-days of work
that would have otherwise gone up in smoke.
“With less active logging in the area, we are seeing less fibre available. FESBC funding gives us the opportunity to expand
our basket to areas that otherwise would not be economically viable,” added Dixon. “FESBC should be credited for playing
a massive role in keeping BioNorth Energy’s yard full of fibre during some uncertain times in the industry.”
To traverse difficult access and improve delivery efficiency, the project utilized job specific trucks that are heavier and more
robust to withstand gravel roads.
“This has resulted in fewer breakdowns and required less assistance to get to the challenging terrain that can be found on
timber harvesting sites in the area,” said Kilba.
Additionally, Arrow’s collaboration with local tenure holders has been key to the grinding and utilization of residual fibre.
“The local tenure holders have been incredible to deal with and show their commitment to fibre utilization,” shared Dixon.
“Arrow played a large role in making this program a success, from hours spent viewing harvested blocks for waste fibre,
costing projects out, meeting with tenure holders, and planning/executing the utilization of the fibre. Without our partners, this project would not be as successful as it has been.”
The collaboration between Arrow, NDC, the Ministry of Forests, BC Timber Sales and local mills, all working together with
BioNorth Energy, has created a very successful business model with incremental benefits for everyone involved.
“Creating direct and indirect employment and income opportunities within the facility and community will inevitably preserve and enrich the cultural heritage of the Nak’azdli people. Pride in ownership and success and determination will
have a positive impact on current and future generations of Nak’azdli leaders,” said Antonio Madia, Director of Project
Development with Arrow.