The Town of Fort Frances will be able to upgrade local infrastructure in support of the “Abitibi Alternative Energy Project” (biomass boiler) after Northern Development and Mines minister Rick Bartolucci announced a grant of $1.3 million here yesterday.
“We are pleased to support a municipal project that will help preserve and grow good private-sector jobs in the community over the long-term,” Bartolucci said during an official announcement yesterday afternoon at the site of the future biomass boiler.
“Our investment will help to significantly upgrade infrastructure that will support the efficient operation of a new alternative energy biomass [boiler] being built by Abitibi-Condsolidated,” he added.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (NOHFC), which Bartolucci chairs, is providing the $1.3 million to the town to improve roads, sewer and water, and other infrastructure in relation to the biomass boiler project.
The upgrades—mainly to Portage Avenue and Nelson Street—are necessary to accommodate large trucks carrying waste wood to the biomass boiler that’s in the process of being built here, as well as enable the excavation of wood waste from the local landfill to be incinerated.
Mayor Roy Avis called the announcement of the $1.3 million NOHFC grant “one of the best good news stories we’ve had in a long time.”
“We first began this process in February of this year when Minister Bartolucci met with town representatives to discuss important initiatives within our community,” the mayor noted.
“At that time, we asked Minister Bartolucci to support our application for the Rural Infrastructure Investment Initiative for our underpass project. We were successful with that application and subsequently received $1.06 million.
“We also discussed the need to upgrade roads to the biomass boiler to facilitate the travel of large trucks carrying fuel materials from the landfill,” the mayor added.
“Minister Bartolucci was very supportive of the town’s efforts to work with Abitibi on this important project, and urged us to submit an application to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund for infrastructure upgrades.
“In my conversations with Minister Bartolucci, I have found him to be very engaged on forestry issues and a passionate advocate for Northern Ontario,” Mayor Avis continued.
“Without the funding support from the provincial government, we would be hard-pressed to undertake this project now known as the ‘Abitibi Alternative Energy Project.’”
Mayor Avis also thanked Abitibi “for their commitment to our community by undertaking this initiative.”
“Through the efforts of mill administration and the commitment from the local mill unions to the project, Fort Frances has a good news forestry story,” the mayor noted.
“We are grateful for our good fortune and well aware of the town’s responsibility to work with Abitibi on this important project.”
Town CAO Mark McCaig, who noted local Ministry of Northern Development and Mines officer Jane Gillon and town managers George Bell and Doug Brown were instrumental in preparing the application for the NOHFC funding, echoed the mayor’s sentiments with regards to the partnership with Abitibi.
“The name that we’ve given this project in not typical,” said McCaig.
“We’ve chosen to call it the ‘Abitibi Alternative Energy Project,’ and that’s kind of indicative of our partnership we’ve had with Abitibi in working towards the goal of putting this biomass facility up and the supporting infrastructure.”
Mill manager John Harrison reiterated the importance of the biomass boiler project to Fort Frances and the surrounding area.
“The biomass boiler is going to put the Fort Frances Division on a solid base of affordable steam and electricity for the future,” he noted during yesterday’s announcement.
“By utilizing wood waste to generate steam, we are going to dramatically reduce our manufacturing costs. Repositioning ourselves from an energy cost standpoint was critical for the future of the division,” he stressed.
“This biomass boiler project helps secure the employment of those working in the Fort Frances mill, and in turn, those who work in the forest and in all the support services that we enjoy here.
“It impacts directly the well-being of every one of us in the area,” said Harrison. “In addition, there will be new job creation from the harvesting and transportation of biomass to the new site from across the region.”
Harrison also stressed the importance of teamwork between mill staff, the town, and the province in making what was once a vision “come to fruition.”
The biomass burner project is an $84-million investment by Abitibi, converting the co-gen facility from natural gas to biomass fuel to reduce energy costs, enhance profitability, and create up to 100 new full-time jobs while retaining more than 1,000 positions in the mill and district woodlands.
The project was given the green light back in March, coinciding with a significant funding announcement from the province.
“Earlier this year, we were delighted to announce our support of Abitibi-Consolidated’s biomass project with $22 million in funding from the Forestry Sector Prosperity Fund,” Natural Resources minister David Ramsay said in a press release issue yesterday.
“Today’s announcement builds on that investment.
“The McGuinty government is empowering communities like Fort Frances and industries in their pursuit of leading edge, envrionmentally-responsible technologies that will promote prosperity in the future,” Ramsay added.
Fort Frances Times
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