Earthworks were recently completed at PowerWood Canada Corp’s ‘Peace River’ black pellet biofuel plant near La Crete in MacKenzie County, northern Alberta, ahead of the production facility’s construction which is slated to commence in spring 2026.
 
PowerWood Canada Corp cites 500 jobs to be created with introduction of Canada’s first ‘steam explosion’ pellet production facilities, while reducing wildfire threats and producing industry’s most viable low-carbon replacement for coal

PowerWood Canada Corp., headquartered in Calgary, is pleased to announce that it is progressing with plans to build two facilities in Northern Alberta which will convert forest fire deadwood into biofuel used to replace coal in Japanese power plants.

The company will manufacture “black pellets” from the region’s fire damaged timber when it completes its first Peace River’facility on 65 acres of prepared land near La Crete, Mackenzie Country – with construction slated to commence in the spring of 2026 and the creation of up to 290 new jobs anticipated through its construction, operation and supply chain.

“We will be using tried-and-tested steam explosion method for converting this firewood into black pellets by the end of 2026 with potential buyers in Japan already expressing interest in purchasing these pellets for use in their power plants,” said PowerWood Canada Corp.’s CEO David Peters.

“We’re immensely proud to be working alongside local businesses and our indigenous partners in harvesting this firewood, helping address the wildfire threat in the area, and at the same time producing a truly viable low-carbon direct ‘drop-in’ replacement for coal.”

The facilities will also see the introduction of Canada’s first steam explosion pellet production process – developed by leading industrial systems engineers Valmet and capable of producing black wood biofuel pellets with 94% less carbon release than coal. Three black pellet plants using the steam explosion method are currently operating in France, Norway and Malaysia with additional plants under construction in both Europe and Asia.

PowerWood Canada Corp. plans to open a second Alberta plant and has developed expansion plans for further plants in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Construction of the ‘Peace River’ facility will be undertaken by WB MelBack Corp., and followed by the company’s construction of its second pellet plant, to be located near the Mackenzie County town of High Level, 90km Northwest of La Crete. PowerWood Canada Corp.’s ‘Alberta pellet project’ is expected to create more than 500 new jobs across the company’s entire supply chain.

Source: biomassmagazine.com