OPG Atikokan burns its last piece of coal

September 12, 2012, Atikokan, ON – The OPG Atikokan Generating Station has burned its final piece of coal. After 27 years in operation, the coal-fired power generation plant will now be shut down while work is done on the $170 Million biomass conversion project.

"Today we are one step closer to eliminating the use of dirty coal while building a modern, reliable energy system that families and businesses know they can count on,” said Chris Bentley, the Ontario Minister of Energy.

“By reducing harmful emissions we are ensuring a cleaner, healthier Ontario for current and future generations."

This project, the first of its kind in the province, will create 200 construction jobs and help protect existing jobs at the plant. The project will also create new economic opportunities for Ontario's forestry sector, which will provide the biomass fuel to the plant.

The converted plant will be able to deliver more than 200 megawatts of clean, renewable power by the end of 2014.

Be sure to pick up the November/December issue of Canadian Biomass magazine for our exclusive look inside the coal-to-biomass conversion of OPG Atikokan.