Supporting The Forest Industry In White River
McGuinty Government Putting Ontario Wood to Work, Creating More Than 1,300 Good Jobs
"I'm delighted that Rentech has chosen this hard-working and progressive community as the location for the first project of this kind anywhere in the world. I look forward to further opportunities for the forest sector that may arise from having such a leading-edge facility in our region." MPP Mike Brown Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing
A leading-edge clean-energy solutions company has accepted a wood supply offer from the Province to establish an innovative new industry in White River. The project is expected to create 83 new full-time jobs, 1,000 construction jobs and about 300 indirect jobs.
Rentech Inc. will use the wood supply to produce approximately 85 million litres annually of low-carbon, biodegradable synthetic jet fuel and approximately 43 million litres annually of renewable naphtha, which can be used to produce biodegradable plastics.
The company’s proposed Olympiad Liquid Fuels Plant would also produce approximately 40 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity from forest biomass.
The wood supply competition is aimed at putting Ontario’s unused wood to work while the Province takes steps to introduce a new forest tenure and pricing system.
Helping build a stronger forest industry is a key component of the plan laid out in Ontario’s 2011 Budget – Turning the Corner, to create and support 10,000 new and existing jobs for Ontario families, and to strengthen local economies.
"Communities such as Pic River and White River that have withstood the industry shift from traditional pulp, paper and sawmills to new uses for Ontario's forests now have a renewed sense of hope. We are pleased with our partnership with Rentech, a very forward thinking company that has embraced First Nations as an integral part of such an ambitious project. Finally, to the Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, we are truly thankful for Ontario's continued support of our energy and forestry programs in Pic River. Much of our success has been built on this continued support." Chief Roy Michano, Pic River First Nation
"Communities such as Pic River and White River that have withstood the industry shift from traditional pulp, paper and sawmills to new uses for Ontario's forests now have a renewed sense of hope. We are pleased with our partnership with Rentech, a very forward thinking company that has embraced First Nations as an integral part of such an ambitious project. Finally, to the Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, we are truly thankful for Ontario's continued support of our energy and forestry programs in Pic River. Much of our success has been built on this continued support." Chief Roy Michano, Pic River First Nation
QUICK FACTS
- The White River plant would be the first commercial-scale facility of its kind to produce certified renewable jet fuel from wood fibre.
- Rentech expects the plant to be completed in 2015.
- Rentch Inc. has accepted an offer of 1,146,000 cubic metres per year of wood fibre, the largest offer accepted to date through the competition.
- The 25 accepted wood supply offers announced to date will put to use a total of 3,380,700 cubic metres per year of wood and create or protect 1,549 new and existing jobs.
