The Ontario government is committed to closing the
province's four coal-fired generating plants by 2009 due to
pollution concerns. This will eliminate 6,500 megawatts of
power generating capacity, about 20 percent of production.
These four power stations cost billions of tax dollars to
build, and with regular maintenance, could continue running for
decades. As a consequence, Ontario taxpayers will have to
needlessly spend billions more to construct new gas-fired
generating plants - powered with a very expensive source of
energy that is in short supply.
We are entering uncertain times in a new globalized economy
where reasonably priced energy is a key factor for investment
decisions. Ontario's manufacturing might is being put at risk
with policies that don't accommodate sensible and sustainable
development of local energy sources.
Concerns about high sulphur and mercury emissions from
coal-fired power plants are being cost effectively addressed
around the world. Many jurisdictions significantly reduce these
pollutants by co-firing coal with a variety of locally-derived
biomass fuels.
Biomass energy can be produced from plant or animal
material. Peat, wood, forestry and agricultural waste material
are being used to generate electricity and heat, by themselves
or co-fired in existing coal power plants. Other forms of
biomass energy include fuels like ethanol derived from corn or
soybeans and methanol made from wood. Industrial, human and
animal wastes can also be used to produce biomass energy.
The benefit of using biofuels is that the carbon released
during combustion was only recently taken from the atmosphere
so burning it does not result in a net increase of carbon
dioxide as opposed to fossil fuel carbon - coal, oil and
natural gas - that was removed millions of years ago.
Biofuels are renewable while fossil fuels are not. Using
biofuels does not contribute to global warming and helps meet
Kyoto protocol targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
The federal government's Clean Energy Canada website classifies peat as a solid biofuel. The European Parliament added peat to its list of renewable resources in 2000.
Virtually no mercury in peat biomass
Brownish-black in colour, peat is a material formed from the
partial decomposition of plants under very wet, acidic
conditions. It is usually made up of two separate layers, the
top being lighter in colour, less decomposed and is used
primarily for horticultural applications while the dark, dense
lower layers are excellent for fuel.
Peat fuel is much cleaner than coal and cheaper than oil and
gas. With inexpensive modifications to Ontario's existing
coal-fired power plants, peat fuel can be used by itself in an
upgraded form, or in combination with coal.
Peat fuel has only 10 percent of the sulphur content of
coal, virtually no mercury and produces less ash waste and dust
emissions. Before the GTA's Lakeview plant closed last
year, Ontario's five coal-fired stations emitted about 527
kilograms of mercury which was almost one third of all mercury
emissions in the province. Ontario Hydro Research concluded
that "an upgraded fuel peat can be effectively co-fired with
propane or coal without any serious adverse affects."
Ontario-based Peat Resources Limited is working to develop
some of Northern Ontario's extensive peat deposits centered
near the town of Upsala, approximately 100 kilometres from the
two coal-fired power plants in Atikokan and Thunder Bay. The
underutilized port facilities at Thunder Bay could economically
ship peat fuel to coal-fired power plants on both sides of the
border throughout the Great Lakes.
Many northwestern Ontario peat bogs in their natural states generate methane gas. This greenhouse gas is 23 times more detrimental to the environment than CO2.
Finland world leader in peat bio-energy use
Finland is the leading user of bioenergy in the
industrialized world. With a population of 5.2 million, the
country has a highly-industrialized, knowledge-based economy
and a standard of living comparable to Ontario.
The only indigenous energy sources in Finland are hydro
power, and vast forests and wetland areas growing wood and
peat. The country has no fossil fuel resources like coal,
natural gas or oil - similar to Ontario, notwithstanding our
insignificant oil production around Sarnia.
Another similarity is peat fuel. Northern Ontario's vast
bogs, which contain the largest accessible deposits of peat
fuel in the world, have the energy equivalent of 72 billion
barrels of oil according to a provincial government report.
However, the big difference between these two jurisdictions is
that Finland uses economically priced peat fuel for heat and
power and Ontario does not.
Ironically, Finland, the largest global user of peat fuel
for electricity and heat, only contains about 10 million
hectares of peatlands compared to the 31 million hectares in
Ontario. Ireland, another major user of peat fuel, has even
less peatlands - 1.2 million hectares. Ireland, known as
Europe's booming celtic tiger, opened two new peat-fired power
plants in 2005 at a cost of $572 million (US).
Finland, which has the coldest climate in Europe, produces about 1,350 MWe of electricity and 30,000 MWth of thermal heat from peat fuel co-fired with wood products and other bio-fuels.
Vapo Oy, based in city of Jyvaskyla, is the largest supplier
of peat fuel in the world.
Co-firing peat-fuel with coal and wood waste is very common
in Finland. A 120 MWe power plant in Seinajoki, built in 1990,
uses both peat and coal. The Alholmens 240 MW unit in
Pietarsaai, can use 100 per cent biomass - peat and wood, 100
per cent coal or any mix thereof.
Fears about high power costs and security of supply during
the oil price hikes of the early 1970s encouraged Finland to
develop its own abundant peat fuel deposits. Peat fuel supplies
about seven percent of the country's power production and 19
percent of district heating requirements. Peat-fired
plants are used for district heating in over 200
municipalities, with most of these being dual fuel systems
utilizing local forestry products such as wood chips and mill
residues.
Like northwestern Ontario, the forest and paper industry
represents a significant amount of Finland's industrial
production. This sector is very energy intensive accounting for
63 percent of industrial energy consumption in Finland. The use
of economically priced peat fuel allows the sector to remain
internationally competitive.
There was tremendous environmental opposition when Finland
started its national peat development programs. It was
gradually overcome when the general public realized that only
about one percent of the country's total peatlands - about
60,000 hectares - were needed for their energy requirements. In
addition, extensive tracks of pristine mires have been
protected and comprehensive restoration programs are mandated
for harvested peatlands.
Most of Finland's peat production is in remote areas where
there is a lack of jobs, offering rural economic development
opportunities and stemming youth out-migration, a major concern
in northern Ontario.
Since the early 1980s, the country has invested heavily in
bio-energy and biomass combustion R&D - considered the
world leader in this technology - and has developed a wide
range of efficient and environmentally sensitive methods for
harvesting and utilizing peat while minimizing the ecological
impact of the industry.
The recent provincial government announcement to create a $4
million Bio-Energy Research Centre in Atikokan to conduct
practical research for the province, the community and the
Atikokan Generating Station is a promising start. Hopefully a
significant part of that research will focus on peat fuel and
peatland restoration.
This should allow the province to keep its coal-fired power
plants intact and inexpensively convert them to burn upgraded
peat fuel by itself or co-fired with coal to reduce pollution
and secure the supply of desperately needed power.
The Ontario Government is in a panic about energy issues. We are rushing the decision to build a new generation of nuclear power plants that will cost future taxpayers billions of dollars. By using our extensive peat-fuel deposits we will provide economic development in northern Ontario and allow much needed time to decide the direction of this province's energy future.
Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant who writes extensively on mining and provincial issues. He can be reached at[email protected].