Trading Coal For Biomass At Atikokan

Ontario Government Adding More Clean Power, Creating Local Jobs

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ontario is turning off coal and switching on biomass at the Atikokan Generation Station - a move that supports jobs in the community and takes the province another step closer to eliminating all coal-fired generation by the end of 2014.

“This signals a bright new future for our community. I've long been advocating for repowering the Atikokan Station to biomass because it makes sense for our economy and our environment. I am thrilled that jobs are staying here and jobs will be created in the region”

The conversion will create up to 200 construction jobs and help protect jobs at the plant. It will also support an estimated 20 to 25 jobs in Ontario related to the production of wood pellets and sustain other jobs in the forestry sector.

The project is expected to take up to three years to complete. Once converted, the plant is expected to generate 150 million kilowatt-hours of renewable power, enough to power 15,000 homes each year.

This initiative supports the province's five-year Open Ontario Plan to create new opportunities for jobs and growth, as well as investing in infrastructure and clean energy.

"This signals a bright new future for our community. I've long been advocating for repowering the Atikokan Station to biomass because it makes sense for our economy and our environment. I am thrilled that jobs are staying here and jobs will be created in the region," said Bill Mauro, MPP Thunder Bay Atikokan.

"The Ontario government is building a strong, reliable and clean energy system that Ontarians can count on to power their homes and businesses. We are planning for a coal free future by converting Atikokan to biomass so that Northwestern Ontario will have a stable and clean supply of energy to fuel their economy," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy.

"This is splendid news for Atikokan. We are very grateful to Bill Mauro our MPP, the Minister of Energy, Brad Duguid, and the entire McGuinty government for this great announcement. It shows that they really care about Atikokan and Northwestern Ontario and we thank them very much for this," said Dennis Brown, Mayor of Atikokan.

"This announcement is a major milestone for our Atikokan biomass project. Atikokan can provide Ontario with a new source of renewable energy and Northwestern Ontario with economic benefits for years to come. This is good news for OPG, Northwestern Ontario and the province," said Frank Chiarotto, Senior Vice President, Thermal, OPG.

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario has today directed the Ontario Power Authority to negotiate an agreement to buy the biomass power generated at Atikokan from Ontario Power Generation, the plant's owner - this is a critical next step in the process of converting the plant to biomass.
• In 2009, generation by Ontario's coal plants was at its lowest level in 45 years, and down more than 70 per cent from 2003.
• Biomass generation is a very flexible fuel which makes it a good backup source of power for this particular region, with variable hydroelectric conditions.
• The annual fuel requirements for the plant, made up of dried wood pellets, are estimated to amount to less than one per cent of the total allowable forest harvest in Ontario each year.
• Atikokan is located approximately 200 km Northwest of Thunder Bay.

LEARN MORE

• Look into ways to conserve electricity, save money and help cut greenhouse gas emissions on the Ministry of Energy website.

• Learn more about biomass energy on the Ontario Power Generation website.
• Learn more about the Atikokan GS on the Ontario Power Generation website.