BDO ZoneCONNECT Webinar:
LESSER SLAVE REGION
& VEGREVILLE, ALBERTA
On January 23, 2024, Ecostrat Inc. and the BDO Zone Initiative, in collaboration with TheDigest, hosted the BDO ZoneCONNECT webinar, highlighting two investment grade BDO Zone communities in Alberta, Canada: Vegreville, rated ‘A’ for Wheat Straw, and the Lesser Slave Region, rated ‘BBB’ for Woody Biomass.
The webinar was moderated by Jim Lane, Editor of TheDigest, and featured key insights from Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative. Participants included Bob Bezpalko, Executive Director of the Northeast Alberta Information HUB; Geoff Tauvette, Executive Director of the Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF); and key executives from First Indigenous Energy Services Inc.: Melissa Minks, President; Albert Klyne, Chief Operating Officer; and Don Harfield, Chief Technology Officer. The webinar highlighted Alberta’s BDO Zones as attractive investment destinations, showcasing their abundant biomass resources, robust infrastructure, shovel-ready sites, and compelling local incentives for biobased projects seeking a reliable supply of agriculturual or woody biomass feedstocks.
BDO ZoneCONNECT, a joint initiative with The Daily Digest, aims to facilitate connections and stimulate development interest within BDO Zone communities. It serves as a catalyst for networking, sharing new BDO Zone ratings, and attracting a diverse global audience of stakeholders, including investors, bio-based project developers, financiers, and community leaders.
To view the webinar, please click below:
Summary of Presenter Remarks
Bob Lima, Project Director, Ecostrat:
- “We looked at the low-risk availability of biomass for this region [Vegreville, AB], in this case wheat straw, with a significant surplus of 455,000 bone-dry tonnes being produced annually. The wheat yields in the region are one of the highest in the country.”
- “All the producers I have talked to are inclined to sell and supply their wheat straw to a new bioeconomy project.”
Geoff Tauvette, Executive Director, Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF):
- “One of the first things we did at C-SAF is create and produce a road map to meet the industry needs of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) to meet net-zero by 2050.”
- “We think the BDO Zone rating is a great tool for us in terms of advancing sustainable aviation fuel in Canada.”
- “We believe SAF is an economic opportunity for Canada. Not only does it help keep our aviation sector competitive but it helps us build out regional opportunities where we can utilize a feedstock that does not have an end use.”
Bob Bezpalko, Executive Director, Northeast Alberta Information HUB:
- “Vegreville is the center of this BDO Zone and an agricultural hub and wheat is a very stable, consistent crop grown in our region.”
- “We’re served by Canada’s two national railway carriers, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City.”
- “Minburn County has the Cross Roads Industrial Park. They have approximately 1360 acres of greenfield acreage available for industrial development.”
- “The A rating validates the quantity of wheat straw we have available, which is well in excess of 400,000 bone dry metric tons that is illustrated in the report.”
Peter Wolf, Project Director, Ecostrat:
- “The Lesser Slave region refers to the area around the lake by the name of Lesser Slave Lake, located in Central Alberta in the boreal forest.”
- “We have rated 155,000 dry tons of wood fibre available at low-to-moderate risk. About 70% would be coming from woodland operations of the industry in the form of forest residues. Then the remaining 30% would be procured from two saw mills located in close proximity to the town of Kinuso, AB.”
- “There is weak competition for this waste [saw mill residue and forest residue].”
Melissa Minks, President, First Indigenous Energy Services Inc.:
- “FIND Energy and the Swan River First Nation are collaborating on a flagship bio-energy facility that will be located in the center of the BDO Zone. The facility will utilize the vast amount of wood waste produced from the forestry operations in the area. The project will use a proven pyrolysis technology that transforms energy from the biomass into electricity, heat, gas and carbon solids like biochar.”
- “This BDO Zone rating is the first Indigenous-led rating in North America. This was a study we wanted to complete to verify the feedstock numbers in the area and reduce the risk for the project. The volume of available feedstock is enough to sustain a 3 megawatt or larger bioenergy facility, which is equivalent to be able to power about 2,400 homes.”
- “The Swan River First Nation area was chosen because of its long history in the forestry industry. Not only does the strong industry presence result in increased sources of wood waste, but it has also created an experienced workforce in the area.”
For more information on the Vegreville, AB, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.
For more information on the Lesser Slave Region, AB, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.
For more information on the Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF), click here, and for their slide deck, click here.
Contact Information:
Bob Bezpalko, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and Executive Director, Northeast Alberta Information HUB (bobbezpalko@albertahub.com).
Melissa Minks, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and President, First Indigenous Energy Services Inc. (melissa.minks@findenergy.ca).
Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative (aryn@ecostrat.com).
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