N.S. firewood supplies down, biomass to blame?

May 14, 2014, Point Tupper, N.S. – A shortage of firewood in
Nova Scotia is driving up prices at the busiest time of year for that market.

Good firewood is becoming more difficult to secure in Cape Breton,
which had already seen a price increase of 10 per cent last winter.

According to the report in The Chronicle Herald, the short
supply will likely cause another price increase as retailers struggle to find
quality hardwood supplies. And while the Point Tupper biomass plant is not seen
as the only reason for the shrinking firewood supply, it is believed to be a
factor. The closure of the NewPage paper mill has caused the price of pulpwood
to shrink, forcing some contractors out of business.

Nova Scotia Power says that it is using sustainably
harvested waste wood for biomass at the Point Tupper plant, but is continuing with
audits to ensure that contractors are complying with regulations. That includes
insuring that it is waste wood that is being provided for biomass.

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