Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Town of Fort Frances in Northern Ontario has received $92,500 in provincial funding to support the first phase of development of a proposed biomass-to-energy facility.
AUX Energy and Mitigokaa Development Corporation will work with the town on the project, which received funding through Ontario’s Forest Biomass Program.
The proposed facility would generate electricity from residual forest biomass, providing a local market for wood materials that might otherwise be piled or left behind as slash following forestry operations.
When complete, the site will support sustainable forest management, strengthen local energy resilience and provide additional electricity generation capacity to accommodate future demand.
“This funding from the Province of Ontario will allow the Town of Fort Frances along with its partners AUX Energy and Mitigokaa Development Corporation to continue to position and develop Fort Frances as a Green/Clean energy centre,” Mayor Andrew Hallikas said in a statement, adding the project will boost regional economic development while supporting Ontario’s need for additional and diverse electricity generation.
The partners have begun work on the project’s first phase, with a final report expected next month to determine the next steps toward developing the facility.
