Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson has announced a $35 million (€ 32.9m) investment to the Whitesand First Nation-owned Sagatay Co-Generation Limited Partnership. The funds will enable the deployment of a combined heat and power facility that uses locally sourced wood waste to produce energy for the communities.
Once constructed, the facility will reduce the use of diesel fuel for heat and electricity in Whitesand First Nation, and the communities of Armstrong and Collins, Ontario, said the Canadian government.
When it is operational, the 6.5-megawatt facility will connect to the local micro-grid and provide power for the three communities, displacing diesel consumption and improving local air quality.
The facility will power clean and renewable industrial growth in the region as the electricity generated will also provide heat and power to a new wood pellet plant and a fully electric wood merchandising yard.
This project iis intended to help the three communities reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, decrease emissions and demonstrate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of biomass heat and power.
It also aims to enable increased local Indigenous economic development and employment by providing an opportunity to participate in the local bioeconomy by using renewable sources of heat, said the Canadian government.
Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said: "Today [28 Feb] I announced, in collaboration with the Whitesand First Nation, that the Government of Canada is investing in an important local energy solution that will cut emissions from diesel fuel and provide good jobs in northern Ontario.
"This $35 million federal investment is helping to power low-carbon solutions in the region while supporting Indigenous leadership. I would like to congratulate the Sagatay Co-Generation Limited Partnership and all of those involved in enabling this important initiative."
Canadian government invests $35m in biomass generation facility
