RE: Worth a listen19 Sep 2018 17:49
A wood pellet plant on the Northern Peninsula with several win-win elements going for it is still very much top-of-mind here.
Sheila Fitzgerald, Mayor of Roddickton-Bide Arm says Richard Spinks, CEO of Active Energy Group rst visited the area nearly two years ago and the proposal for a plant to use wood from Peninsula forests and to build and operate that plant to produce “coal- switch” pellets was then put forward.
Applications were made to the Province and it is currently Fitzgerald’s understanding that “government is still talking enthusiastically on the subject.” She adds, “no one says it’s a done-deal yet, but the talks are positive.”Four government departments are committed to the project and the mayor added that she hopes to hear “anytime now”. She said that the town council will “work diligently with government” to help overcome any untoward delays or red tape.
The Active Energy Group is already manufacturing and selling its pellets elsewhere. Power plants currently using coal have been shown that supplementing their fuel with pellets can make them more environmentally compliant.
It is anticipated that with a pellet plant in the Roddickton-Bide Arm area, some 45 to 55 jobs would open up (not counting truck drivers, contractors in the woods and spin-o bene ting the region’s service sector)