Prince George, B.C. – There is so much more potential for bioenergy  but  its potential is being  overshadowed by  other green energies, such as solar and wind says  Don Roberts CEO of Nawitka Capital  Advisors.

Last year,  global investment in  clean energy   hit $330 billion dollars, but only  1%  was directed to Bioenergy “We’ve lost our momentum” says Roberts.

Bioenergy is a sector in transition.   With the foundation based  on  using  fibre  to develop  pellets  for heating,   the  sector is now looking at  drawing chemicals and  creating biocrude from  woody mass.

It was  just a couple of weeks ago that Canfor Pulp  announced  it had entered a joint venture with Licella Fibre fuels to convert  biomass,  into biocrude.

There  have been some preliminary trials, involving  feedstock from  Canfor Pulp’s mills in Prince George at  Licella’s pilot plants in Australia.   According to Canfor Pulp, the trials were successful in creating a “stable biocrude oil”.

John Martin, Parliamentary Secretary to BC’s  Ministers of Forests,  says the Province has   a memorandum of understanding with Canfor Pulp to “further investigate sources of fibre in the Prince George Timber Supply area, to  help support this venture.”

The annual  allowable cut  in the Prince George TSA  is expected to be decreased by 25% over the coming years  because of the  devastation of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.;

“As a  Government,  we want to  work in cooperation with initiatives such as this ” said Martin  at the Bioenergy Conference underway in Prince George. “We want to do what we can to assist and help move it forward.”

Canfor Pulp  says the  project could see  the company  transition from being strictly a pulp and paper manufacturer to a bio-energy producer as well.