Capturing the Benefits: Environment
& Efficiency
Northwest Territories Biomass Week 2023
Dr. Fahimeh Yazdan Panah
Director of Research and Technical Development

We are committed to combatting climate change by supplying the
world with green energy from renewable, sustainable biomass.
• Proud to be the voice of Canada’s
growing wood pellet sector
• 50+ producer and affiliate members
across Canada
• Sharing best practices to improve
• Environmental performance
• Safety
• Quality

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
the world’s leading authority on climate change, has recognized
the significant GHG mitigation potential of biomass – as much as
80 to 90% – provided that it is developed sustainably and
used efficiently.

Fossil Fuels vs.
Biomass
The source of CO2 determines a fuel’s
environmental impact
• Coal is mined from carbon sinks
that took millions of years to form
• Wood pellets made from carbon
that was drawn from the
atmosphere by trees over the last
150 years
• Harvest areas are reforested,
often within a year, and start
sequestering carbon again 20
TONS OF PELLETS
FACT OR COPY

Why Heat with
Biomass?
• Lowest cost fuel for heating
• Very low GHG and particulate emissions
• Renewable and sourced locally
• Good for local economy
• Modern systems are automated, efficient, proven
• Supports primary forest products industry
• Avoid landfilling of residues that would generate
methane
• Enables ecological forestry/active forest management
• Address pest outbreaks (e.g., mountain pine beetle)
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Université de Moncton’s
Wood Pellet Heating System

Making the most of our forest
resources
Wood pellet production reduces waste and supports the full
utilization of harvested forest fibre
The Canadian wood pellet sector exists
primarily to make better use of forests that
are already being harvested.
All of our fibre is either a direct by-product of
the lumber industry, or the purposeful
extraction of dead, diseased or damaged or
low quality trees.
Canada’s forest industry is highly integrated
and maximizes the value of every tree
harvested.

Waste not,
want not
Wood pellet product supports 100% utilization of harvested fibre

Responsible Sourcing
• The Canadian wood pellet sector exists
primarily to make better use of forests that
are already being harvested.
• 100% residuals or fibre rejected by sawmills
and pulp mills.
• 100% committed to trees going to their
highest and best use.
• Decline of pulp industry means more
residuals need an outlet.

Low quality logs
Unsuitable for lumber, pulp production; otherwise left as waste

The carbon
cycle of a
sustainably
managed
Canadian
forest

Carbon storage and sustainable forest management
• Sustainable forestry requires the carbon
stock in forests remains stable or increase
over time
• Must consider the carbon balance across an
entire forest over time
• As one forest stand is harvested, others
are being planted and others are
growing at various stages of maturity
• Only a few stands are harvested each
year, and the growth in hundreds of
adjacent stands equals or exceeds
what’s harvested
• About half the carbon from harvested
stands is stored in long-lived wood products,
contributing to a positive carbon balance

Canada leads the world in certified forest area
2019 Statistics
168 million hectares third-party certified to an internationally-recognized
standard

Third-Party Certification
FOREST-ONLY
CERTIFICATION AT
FOREST LEVEL &
CHAIN OF CUSTODY
RISK-BASED
CERTIFICATION AT THE
BIOMASS PLANT LEVEL,
INCLUDES GHG
ANALYSIS
FOREST-ONLY
CERTIFICATION AT
FOREST LEVEL &
CHAIN OF CUSTODY
Independent, internationally-recognized assurance

Sustainable Biomass
Program
• Certification specifically for woody biomass
• Provides assurance fibre comes from sustainable and legal
sources
• 16 criteria and 38 indicators of sustainability
• Recognizes international systems use in Canada
• Forest Stewardship Council
• Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification,
which in turn recognizes
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative
• Canadian Standards Association

Coming Soon:
Bioenergy
Carbon
Capture and
Storage

Summary & Conclusions
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• Sustainably produced bioenergy can help significantly to reduced
global warming.
• The Canadian wood pellet sector exists primarily to make better
use of forests that are already being harvested.
• Wood pellets and other solid biofuels (chips, firewood) are the lowest
cost fuels for heating.
• Bioenergy production supports the forest industry and local economy.
• Canada has the most third-party certified forests of any country.
• With BECCS, we may be able to use bioenergy to remove CO2 from
the atmosphere.

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