The Sunshine Coast's largest employer is preparing to start a trial run in an attempt to reduce costs and improve their overall energy requirements.
Howe Sound Pulp and Paper (HSPP) went to Town of Gibsons council, the Sunshine Coast Regional District and Coast Reporter this week to notify the public that the mill will be supplementing its wood fuel supply with 700 tonnes of coal to determine the applicability to its operations.
"Much of the wood we burn is very wet," said Al Strang, manager for environment and external relations for HSPP, in an interview Tuesday morning. "The boiler produces less steam than expected, so our power turbines are not fully loaded. We are seeking a low impact, cost effective way to utilize all our generating capacity."
According to Strang, since 1990, HSPP has made environmentally friendly choices in the pulp and paper industry, including an 85 per cent reduction of sulphur gases and an 87 per cent improvement in particulate matter emissions.
The addition of coal burning into the area raised some concerns over the potential environmental damages when Strang spoke with Gibsons council Tuesday night.
"We will be happy to supply the public and members of council with the emissions reports when they become available," Strang said. "Some of our emission testing will be monitored online, and more conclusive results will be ready for the beginning of April."
Strang explained to council that the mill would continue to meet all the conditions of its environmental permits and is committed to finding a way to eliminate that impact should coal burning prove to be viable over the long-term. The trial period runs Feb. 28 to March 7 with the mill shutting down normal production in order to keep the emission levels within environmentally stringent provincial limits.
If the addition of coal to the mill's burners proves to be economically and environmentally sustainable, the mill will need to apply for provincial permits, allowing for continued use of the fossil fuel.
Through the productivity tests, which the mill is hoping will be successful, HSPP is hoping to capitalize on enough funds to investigate innovative technology to remove pollutants from combustion-based emissions. The technology, originally developed and tested at a couple European facilities, is available through a Vancouver company and has proven to be highly effective in removing sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from furnace exhaust.
"I'm excited to see Howe Sound Pulp and Paper investing in leading-edge technology," said Coun. Chris Koopmans.
"These are exciting possibilities," Strang added. "The opportunity to improve efficiency while maintaining or reducing our impact is something I think we can all support."
