Nipissing Biofibre
The Nipissing First Nation [NFN] and Gemini Power Corp. [GPC] have entered into a partnership to investigate the construction and operation of a biofibre fuelled Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant on NFN lands.
Biofibre energy is a carbon-neutral, environmentally friendly and sustainable energy source that has proven potential to relieve a significant portion of our reliance on fossil fuels. In North America, energy from Biofibre is critically underutilized and represents a tremendous opportunity for industry and communities to take control of energy production costs and to lessen their environmental impacts.
There is an abundance of underutilized and waste forest resources available in the Nipissing Forest and the surrounding region, providing the potential continuous supply of Biofibre to positively contribute to local electricity generation and local heating as well as reduce global warming and provide a local economic growth stimulus.
The proposed CHP plant will be jointly owned by the Nipissing First Nation and Gemini Power Corp. thru NBiising Mshkowzeemgut Power Inc., a company incorporated for that purpose, and will be located on Nipissing First Nation Reserve lands west of the city of North Bay, adjacent to the site of the new North Bay District Hospital [NBDH]. This location provides an ideal opportunity to supply both electricity to the Ontario power grid through a connection in the city of North Bay as well as hot water and stand-by emergency electrical power to the NBDH.
Looking down towards the site of the North Bay District Hospital currently being constructed, from the site of the proposed CHP plant.
The size of the proposed CHP plant will be approx.10 Mega-Watts (MW) of electrical, power generation potential, the maximum that currently qualifies for a contract from the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) under the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP).
At this maximum size, the available useful heat output in a typical biofibre CHP plant would be approximately 100,000 British Thermal Units [BTU] per hour. This is more than sufficient to supply all the hot water needs of the North Bay District Hospital, currently under construction with projected hot water needs of approx. 28,000 BTU per hour.
The CHP plant will be designed for the long-term: to help address Ontario’s need for secure energy supplies; to provide career employment in and for NFN; and, to utilize the existing sustainable biofibre resources of the Nipissing Forest and the surrounding region.
Artist model of the proposed North Bay District hospital.
The detailed design and project management will be carried out by an internationally known company, FVB Energy Inc., which has performed similar services for two biofibre energy plants now in operation in Canada and is actively involved in two other biofibre projects currently under development in western Canada.
Total potential cost of construction of the proposed CHP plant is currently being evaluated to determine and confirm the economic feasibility of the project, and that it meets or will meet the standards necessary for all regulatory and environmental approvals. Once all of these issues are satisfied, and all necessary regulatory and environmental pre-approvals and consents have been obtained, construction will commence with completion planned within twelve to eighteen months of commencement.