Ontario earmarks $1.5M for 15 projects under Forest Biomass Program

The Ontario government is funding 15 projects under its new Forest Biomass Program, doling out the first $1.5 million of a $19.6-million investment.

First announced in May, the program is designed to encourage new and emerging uses of underutilized wood and mill by-products, the government said in a Dec. 1 announcement.

“In just a few months, our Forest Biomass Program has identified many promising forest sector initiatives, with many more projects we plan to support in the months to come,” Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, said in a news release.

Harvest Bioindustrial Group and Lavern Heideman & Sons are receiving $120,000 to study and increase the use of underutilized hardwoods to produce biochemicals and other products.

“Harvest Bioindustrial is at the forefront of producing biofuels from woody biomass residue,” Stan Stasko, Harvest Bioindustrial COO, said in the release. “Harvest is in partnership with Lavern Heideman and Queen’s University to optimize the yields of biofuels that will displace high carbon fuels such as diesel.”

Infinite Carbon Corporation is receiving $197,600 to increase the use of birch and poplar wood and support new technology development that has potential to reduce carbon emissions in industrial steel production.

“As an Aboriginal-led company committed to sustainability, Infinite Carbon is immensely grateful for the essential support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry,” CEO Daniel Ronald said. “The funding has been key in laying the necessary groundwork for meaningful ecological change within our forest sector.”

Roseburg Forest Products Canada is receiving $100,000 to improve supply chain resiliency, support forest sector diversification and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by exploring energy production using forest biomass.

And Ben Hokum and Son will receiving funding for a business plan and feasibility assessment for a new chipping plant that will use underutilized low-grade wood in Renfrew County as its primary feedstock.

“The project will benefit several mills and forest communities in eastern Ontario by strengthening the supply chain of wood residues for companies looking to produce new bioproducts,” Dean Felhaber, president of Ben Hokum and Son.

Read the full news release here.