Claims of climate benefits for any forest bioenergy project need to be backed up with rigorous and transparent carbon accounting; there is some indication that the New Glasgow project, in contrast to other forest bioenergy projects in Nova Scotia, is moving in that direction.
UPDATE June 20, 2022: ‘just came across this article which provides some background to the New Glasgow project: Is burning biomass the answer, in UNRAVEL APR 21, 2021 “Jamie Stephen wants to bring district energy systems to Nova Scotia…”
UPDATE June 15, 2022: Environmentalists raise questions about proposed biomass heating system – on CBC Info M (audio); New Glasgow to study biomass heat as way to meet climate goals, CBC News · Posted: Jun 15,
UPDATE June 13, 2022: Two sets of comments related to this post are appended at the end of the post, the first set is from comments on the Healthy Forest Coalition Facebook page. The second is a lengthy comment received from Jean Blair of TorchLight Bioresources. It includes an invitation to participate in surveys she is conducting as part of a “research project at Dalhousie aiming to understand perceptions around forest bioenergy and forest management in NS, and if acceptance can be improved by watching an informational video on the topic.” I haven’t commented on the comments; they illustrate a range of perspectives. This issue is not going to go away. I think we would be well served by some critical panel discussions of the issues with reps from different sides of the debates hosted, for example, by MTRI or NS Institute of Science, or a university.
———-
ORIGINAL POST
I listened yesterday a.m. to CBC Information Morning interviews related to a district wood based heating project proposed for New Glasgow:
Is New Glasgow a good candidate for a biomass heating system?
CBC Info AM, June 10, 2022 “Natural Resources Canada has given a Nova Scotia company funding to find out if a district heating system could work in New Glasgow. Hear how the facility would burn low grade wood and wood chips to heat more than 90 percent of the buildings in the community.” Some details at https://heatnewglasgow.ca/
Host Portia Clark talked at length with James Stephen of TorchLight Bioresoucres which is managing the investigatory project. He gave a good explanation of the concept which involves burning “low value wood” to heat water which is then distributed via pipes to participating business, institutional and residential properties. It is a system widely used in Northern Europe.
I was impressed that Portia Clark asked the questions that I would have asked related to carbon emissions. The responses were reasonable except for the response to her last question which in my view repeated some of the cliches the forest industry and supportive government departments often use to promote (or defend) forest bioenergy. Continue reading →
