THE COMPANY which wants to turn wood waste into a coal-like substance has abandoned plans to use a device manufactured by the English company Rotawave.
Global Bio-Coal Energy Ltd.'s Bill McIntyre said last week Rotawave's technology would have required too much power.
“It just didn't fit our needs. We weren't comfortable,” McIntyre added of the Rotawave technology which would have used microwaves to turn waste into bio-coal which can then be burned like regular coal.
Global has now signed a deal with the New Jersey firm Wyssmont to use its technology which McIntyre described as being similar to a convection oven.
“We still would have a bio-coal. The process still takes place in an airless environment. Nothing's changed, he said.
Turning waste into a coal-like substance is called torrefaction which uses heat to remove moisture from waste and convert what's left into a solid, dry and blackened substance.
Bio-coal has been growing in popularity among European coal users because it is considered less environmentally hazardous than regular coal and because few modifications would be required to burn it at existing coal-fired energy-producing plants.
“We are quite comfortable with Wyssmont. We've been signing agreements,” said McInytre.
Global Bio-Coal first wants to import a Wyssmont product rated at five tons an hour.
“It would be a bit of a demonstration but is still very viable at that level,” said McIntyre.
Wyssmont also manufactures bio-coal ovens with a 10 ton and 20 ton an hour rating.
While Global Bio-Coal prepares to work with Wyssmont, it is also adjusting its business plan after failing to secure a grant from a provincial program aimed at helping develop 'green' enterprises.
The provincial government announced the beginning of August the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund would spend $8 million on various projects, including $1 million to a bio-energy company called Pytrade which wants to set up shop in Kitimat.
The $8 million was the last of a $70 million program financed when the provincial Liberals put an extra tax on utility bills.
Seven companies received $1 million each and others split the remaining $1 million.
McIntyre said Global Bio-Coal didn’t realize there was only $8 million left in the ICE program.
“The $1 million was about one-tenth of what we had applied for,” he said.
“We’re disappointed yes and we’re not sure what the impact yet will be,” said McIntyre in saying ICE money would have helped move the bio-coal project along.
Global Bio-Coal’s first plans, announced more than a year ago, called for a $30 million plant to be built here, supporting a direct and indirect workforce of at least 140 people.
Global Bio-Coal then struck a deal with Coast Tsimshian Resources to build the plant in one corner of Coast Tsimshian’s Poirier log yard.
McIntyre said Global Bio-Coal was lining up a meeting with its Coast Tsimshian partner.
A ground-breaking was moved inside to Coast Tsimshian’s offices last fall because of a torrential rain but there has been no construction activity since.
Global Bio-Coal said it viewed a Terrace plant as the first of many across the province.
McInytre said engineering and design work was proceeding using a Vancouver company.
“We are designing what you might call a turn-key operation. The design will be such that it essentially remains the same,” he said.
Having a plant design that can be easily used in a multiple number of locations will then be less costly for others buying into the Global Bio-Coal business framework because they won’t need to repeat a lot of work, said McInytre.