Pellet mill project in NWT gets the the go ahead
December 11, 2012
By The Hub
December 11, 2012, Hay River, NWT – After two and a half years of planning, Brad Mapes, a local businessman, has finally received territorial government approval to embark on a wood pellet mill project.
Located on a 130-acre patch of land four kilometres north of Enterprise, the mill should be completed by next summer, with plans to start selling pellets by 2014.
Roughly 50 per cent of the product will be exported south to Alberta and other regions, with some potential options overseas.
Mapes told The Hub the plant would start producing 60,000 cubic tons a year, increasing to 100,000 cubic tons in three to four years.
One of the reasons Mapes’ final business plan was approved faster than usual is because the project requires no government funding.
It will have an estimated price tag of $11.5 million.
Roughly 65 per cent of the project will be controlled by Mapes himself, while the other 35 per cent will be controlled by five different First Nations.
Mapes, a Hay River town councillor, was relieved to finally get the green light for a project he believes will be truly beneficial for communities in the region.
“I worked a long time on this and at first it didn’t look like it was going to happen,” he said. “It’s a project that will make a big difference here. We’re creating a brand new economy and a life-long industry that we can build from as we get more demand for our pellets.”
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