Fall 2026
canadianbiomassmagazine.ca
Biomass, Bioenergy and Bioproducts
THE BIOFUELS REPORT A look at trends, opportunities and challenges ahead
ALSO
2026 WPAC Conference preview Pellet Gear Buyer’s Guide
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FALL 2026
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Fostering a safety culture
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Pellet Gear Buyer’s Guide
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WPAC Conference preview
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Made in Canada
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The Canada Strong Fund
For more than a decade, the WPAC Safety Committee has led efforts to strengthen safety performance, share best practices and build a culture of continuous improvement.
Canadian Biomass’ annual Pellet Gear Buyer’s Guide rounds up suppliers of pellet production and safety equipment.
A sneak peek at the upcoming Wood Pellet Association of Canada Conference taking place in Victoria, B.C.
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BIOFUELS MARKETS REPORT
Canada’s biofuels sectors have no shortage of challenges to overcome; however, with these hurdles come great opportunities for growth. To learn more about the current state and future of Canada’s biofuels markets, Canadian Biomass reached out to leaders in the wood pellet, biogas and advanced biofuels sectors to discuss what lies ahead.
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ANDRITZ Feed and Biofuel plant in Windsor, Ontario recently opened for business. Canadian Biomass took a tour of the facility to see the company’s die production operations firsthand.
Canada has the resources, innovation capacity, and industrial expertise to lead this transition. What is needed now is coordinated national leadership capable of aligning policy, infrastructure, capital, and commercialization around a unified vision.
“While this is a market challenged by political risk, it is hard not to feel positive momentum behind us.” Read the full story on page 8
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DEPARTMENTS
COLUMNS
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Industry news
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Editorial
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Equipment spotlight – Pellet Gear Buyer’s Guide
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WPAC – Fostering a safety culture
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Final thoughts
Our Cover
The Convertus York Biofuel facility is expected to have the capacity to process upwards of 200,000 tons of organic waste annually from the Regional Municipality of York and surrounding areas. Photo: Convertus Group.
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SAF support Pathways for growing Canada’s SAF market through woody biomass By Andrew Snook
Volume 26 No. 3
Reader Service
Print and digital subscription inquiries or changes, please contact Angelita Potal, Customer Service Ph: (416) 510-5113 Fax: (416) 510-6875 Email: apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Editor - Andrew Snook Ph: (416) 510-6801 asnook@annexbusinessmedia.com Contributors - Gordon Murray, Meaghan Seagrave
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tages of using terrified wood pellets as a hile I’ve always enjoyed reading feedstock. To check out the white paper the submissions from the brilliant and others, visit: www.futuremetrics.info. and talented people in the bioFutureMetrics aren’t the only ones acmass sector, one of my favourite regular knowledging the possibility of utilizing items to hit my inbox are the white papers biomass feedstock for SAF production. from our friends at FutureMetrics. In a recent interview with Canadian I recently received the company’s Biomass for our Biofuwhite paper, “A Pathway els Markets Report (see to Support the Expected page 8), Advanced BiofuDemand for Sustainable els Canada president Fred Aviation Fuel (SAF),” writGhatala stated that gasificaten by William Strauss and tion with Fischer-Tropsch Laurenz Schmidt. The paapproaches to low-carbon per looked at pathways for fuel production need to the production of sustainbe brought to the table in able aviation fuel (SAF) usways that produce real voling upgraded biomass-deTHE BIOFUELS REPORT umes, and that the ABFC rived feedstocks (terrified/ members “are encouraged carbonized). ALSO by applications overseas FutureMetrics statin Nordic countries where ed that SAF demand is co-processing is occurring expected to grow from using forestry-derived materials.” two to three million tonnes per year Ghatala added that there are pathways to approximately 40 tonnes by 2035; through policy design that can assist with adding that if the net-zero target for converting biomass feedstocks into susair travel is to be met by 2050 that tainable fuels at a greater scale. number could jump to more than The bottom line is the world is going 300 million tonnes. With the current supto need SAF production to increase at a ply of SAF comprising less than one per massive scale over the next 25 years, and cent of the global aviation fuel demand, this will create huge opportunities for there is a huge amount of room for the companies that can find ways to convert market to grow. advanced woody biomass on a large scale. While SAF is largely manufactured Canada is home to one of the largest from used animal fats, cooking oils, and potential supplies of woody biomass feedwaste with high lipids content, the paper stock in the world. explains that these feedstocks are limited With the right government policies and and would not be able to meet long-term supports in place, Canada has the potential demand expectations. This is where bioto attract a level of investment that could mass can really shine. turn us into a major player in the market, The white paper goes into detail dishelping the forest products sector contincussing the pathways for converting ue to expand and diversify during these woody biomass to SAF including the challenging times. • Fischer-Tropsch process and the advan-
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Fall 2026
Biomass, Bioenergy and Bioproducts
canadianbiomassmagazine.ca
A look at trends, opportunities and challenges ahead
2026 WPAC Conference preview Pellet Gear Buyer’s Guide
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CanadianBIOMASS
FALL 2026
Western Sales Manager - Tim Shaddick twshaddick@gmail.com Ph: (604) 264-1158 Fax: (604) 264-1367 Audience Development Manager - Layla Samel Ph: 416-510-5187 lsamel@annexbusinessmedia.com Media Designer - Alison Keba CEO - Scott Jamieson Canadian Biomass is published four times a year: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Published by Annex Business Media. Publication Mail Agreement # 40065710 Printed in Canada ISSN 2290-3097 Subscription Rates: Canada - 1 Yr $60.47; 2 Yr $108.20 (Canadian prices do not include applicable taxes) USA – 1 Yr $128.89 CDN; Foreign – 1 Yr $146.39 CDN Annex Privacy Officer Privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 Occasionally, Canadian Biomass magazine will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2026 Annex Business Media, All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. canadianbiomassmagazine.ca
RAWLINGS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF SUCCESS
Rawlings Manufacturing is celebrating 50 years of family, innovation, and leadership in the forest products industry. Founded in 1976 as a small sawmill construction company, Rawlings has grown into a trusted name known for innovation, quality, and customer commitment. The late Pat and Cliff Rawlings built more than a business—they built a way of life. Their sons, John, Craig, and Mike, grew up around sawmills, gaining handson industry experience that would shape their careers and influence the company’s future. John Rawlings, owner and president of Rawlings Manufacturing and widely known as the “Hog Doctor,” continues to lead the development of innovative wood and bark recovery systems tailored to customers’ needs. Craig Rawlings, president and CEO of Forest Business Network, is recognized for helping build successful forest products businesses and for his expertise in
Photo: Rawlings Manufacturing.
mass timber. Mike Rawlings, president of Rawlings Industrial, has earned a strong reputation for constructing sawmills, chip mills, and planer mills throughout North America. Today, the next generation is stepping forward. Cliff Rawlings III, John’s son, is actively involved with Rawlings Manufacturing, bringing engineering expertise, new energy, and a forward-thinking perspective. “Fifty years strong—and the next generation is just getting started,” said John Rawlings.
CHAR TECH COMPLETES THOROLD KILN INSTALLATION
CHAR Tech recently announced the completion the installation of the commercial HTP kiln – including the kiln’s heat tube, a long-lead critical-path component – at its Thorold Renewable Energy Facility in Thorold, Ont. The facility marks CHAR Tech’s first commercial renewable energy and biocarbon production facility, jointly owned 50/50 with The BMI Group (BMI). The company stated that remaining construction includes the connection of the pyrogas piping and instrumentation. CHAR Tech is targeting commercial operations at the Thorold Facility by the end of September 2026, with production and associated revenue expected to increase through the end of 2026 as the facility ramps toward its Phase 1 run-rate. Phase 1 of the Thorold Facility is designed to produce up to 5,000 tonnes per year of biocarbon, with clients including ArcelorMittal Dofasco under the previously announced offtake agreement to reduce fossil carbon in the steelmaking processes. Following completion of Phase 1, the company intends to proceed with Phase 2 construction, which includes installation of a second HTP kiln, addition of methanation equipment to upgrade synthetic gas into renewable natural gas (RNG), and construction of an onsite RNG pipeline injection point. “The team and our partners at BMI have brought the kiln through to completed installation, and we are now down to the final pyrogas piping before commissioning advances to commercial operations,” said Andrew White, CEO of CHAR Tech. “This is the last major step on Phase 1, and it moves the Thorold Facility toward its first commercial biocarbon revenues and it sets the stage for Phase 2 to commence.”
FPINNOVATIONS APPOINTS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO FPInnovations has announced that Mathieu Blouin has been named its new president and CEO, effective as of July 13, 2026, as part of a planned transition. Blouin has more than 20 years of experience in applied forest research, fostering industry partnerships, and organizational leadership. He has been with FPInnovations for more than 16 years holding a variety of senior positions including his latest as vice-president of industrial partnerships. “Industrial research and innovation have never been more important. I am pleased to continue this work with our employees and partners to strengthen our sector competitiveness and support its transformation,” Blouin said. FPInnovations thanked its outgoing president and CEO Stéphane Renou, stating that under his leadership, “FPInnovations has moved to a more adaptive and agile model built to respond to the evolving needs of the industry, maximize the value of harvested wood, and serve as a trusted, honest broker of science and data for Canada’s forest sector.”
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WPAC
Report
Fostering a safety culture Across the wood pellet sector and beyond By Gordon Murray, Executive Director, Wood Pellet Association of Canada
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afety is a core value of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) and our members. It is fundamental to protecting workers, maintaining reliable operations and ensuring public confidence in our industry. For more than a decade, the WPAC Safety Committee has led efforts to strengthen safety performance, share best practices and build a culture of continuous improvement. The strength of our safety program is collaboration and openness. WPAC works closely with the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC), WorkSafeBC, researchers such as the UBC Biomass and Bioenergy Research Group, and member companies to identify emerging risks and develop solutions. Together, we’ve created open-source training programs, guidance documents and resources that help keep workers and plants safe, not just in wood pellet facilities but across the broader wood products sector. The committee’s activities reflect the principle that safety is never finished, and it is a shared responsibility. Each year, new initiatives are launched, others advance, and completed work is shared openly with the industry.
ADDRESSING INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC RISKS
The wood pellet manufacturing process has unique safety challenges, and WPAC has dedicated resources to understand and mitigate these risks. The latest initiatives include rotary drum dryer safety, fire and explosion prevention and response and standard operating procedures for winter fibre loading and unloading. There is a risk of fires and explosions
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WPAC’s Wood Pellet and Bioenergy Safety Summit brings together the industry to discuss the latest issues and safety initiatives across the country. Image: WPAC.
from combustible dust and from conditions that can lead to the generation and accumulation of combustible gas. To address these challenges, WPAC formed a rotary drum dryer working group to examine trends, identify opportunities for improvement and provide recommendations for the safer operation of rotary drum dryers. A report was published earlier this year detailing the working group’s recommendations, along with a practitioner’s guide summarizing the seven habits for fire prevention in rotary drum dryers. Preventing, detecting and managing self-heating events in wood pellet storage is one of the major challenges of our industry and our customers. WPAC has conducted a series of workshops in Japan and Denmark educating users on the root causes of self-heating, how to minimize
risk, and how to respond to self-heating incidents. These international events have led to long-term collaboration and knowledge sharing. Winter conditions present unique issues to loading and unloading fibre at pellet plants. WPAC’s Safety Committee developed standard operating procedures that set clear steps to prevent injuries, protect equipment, avoid losses from frozen material, and stop environmental releases. A driver’s quick reference checklist, rescue plan and step-by-step tipper unloading process templates were developed so workers could develop site-specific materials. To ensure these resources reach the widest possible audience, the WPAC Safety Committee will host webinars later this year covering these topics and share practical implementation guidance. FALL 2026
be open to anyone who is interested. BUILDING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH TRAINING AND EDUCATION
The development of training and educational resources is a cornerstone of WPAC’s safety strategy. Across all our safety initiatives, we ensure information is shared in a variety of ways—from online and in-person events to the compendium of safety resources on pellet.org/ safety, available for anyone to use. WPAC’s biennial Wood Pellet and Bioenergy Safety Summit brings together industry leaders, regulators, researchers and safety professionals to share lessons learned, discuss emerging risks and advance safety practices across the sector. Our online learning platform—wpaclearning.com—is a free e-learning safety training program for plant operators and supervisors. The platform includes operator health and safety training and professional skills for supervisors as well as the safety foundation webinar series. RECOGNIZING SAFETY HEROES
Rotary drum dryer incidents follow predictable patterns. Seven Habits for Fire Prevention in Rotary Drum Dryers outlines the habits to form to ensure barriers are in place. ADVANCING PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT
One of the major initiatives underway is implementing process safety management (PSM) using the CSA Z767 Process Safety Management standard as the framework. The objective is to systematically identify and manage risk while protecting workers, equipment, production reliability and business continuity. The focus for 2026 of this long-term initiative is to help participating facilities develop process flow diagrams (PFDs) and implement a management of change (MOC) system in each plant. This is done through in-person and online engagement and process documents. To spread the word further afield, WPAC is planning a PFD webinar for the late fall which will
To acknowledge the commitment workers in the industry have to ensuring leading safety practices are implemented and embraced, WPAC recognizes the safety heroes among us who are making a difference to their company, coworkers, families and communities. Winners of the Safety Hero Award are profiled across a variety of channels, recognizing their leadership and commitment to workplace safety. A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
As new technologies, processes and challenges emerge, the industry’s commitment to safety continues to evolve. Through collaboration, research, training and the sharing of best practices, WPAC’s Safety Committee and our partners remain focused on a simple goal: ensuring every worker returns home safely at the end of every day. We are always looking for new Safety Committee members. We meet the second Wednesday of every month at 11 a.m. Pacific time. Sign up today at pellet.org/ safety! •
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Markets
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Biofuels markets report While challenges remain, Canada’s biofuels sectors are ripe with opportunities By Andrew Snook
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rom scaling up to securing capital investment and secure fibre supplies, Canada’s biofuels sectors have no shortage of challenges to overcome; however, with these hurdles come great opportunities for growth. To learn more about the current state and future of Canada’s biofuels, Canadian Biomass reached out to leaders in the wood pellet, biogas and advanced biofuels sectors to discuss what lies ahead. Here’s what we learned. WOOD PELLETS
The news of U.K. subsidies changing in 2027 has created considerable concern for Canadian wood pellet producers due to the surplus of wood pellets expected once these changes take effect. However, there are still bright spots for the sector, including potential opportunities in markets looking to displace coal-fired power plants with pellets. One country showing interest is Poland. “Poland is an emerging market,” says Fahimeh Yazdan Panah, associate executive director for Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC). “There has been this conversation for a couple years, and as of last year we are seeing companies coming forward as coal is phased out. It is early, but the potential is significant.” Panah notes that if demand in Poland materializes, it would not happen overnight. “If the Polish market comes online in a year or two, there could still be a gap during which Canadian producers need to find a market for the surplus pellets,” she says. “We are also working to increase domestic demand for heating, but that market alone will not be large enough to absorb all of the affected volume.” Japan first emerged as the largest mar-
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Commissioning of the Convertus York Biofuel facility is expected to start this year with service commencement in early 2027. Photo: Convertus Group.
ket for Canadian wood pellets in 2022 and has held that position since, accounting for approximately 43 per cent of Canada’s total exported pellets last year. “Japan continues to be a very reliable customer,” Panah says. A much larger domestic opportunity could come from the proposed conversion of NB Power’s Belledune Generating Station. If the project moves forward, Belledune could consume 300,000 to 500,000 tonnes of advanced wood pellets annually. That could allow much of the pellet volume historically exported from Eastern Canada to the U.K. to remain in Canada, substantially offsetting the impact of the U.K. transition. Growing the domestic heating market and developing new export markets such as Poland would provide additional demand. WPAC is working with its members on
the production of torrefied and steam-treated pellets. While the technologies themselves have been around for a long time, what is new is their application at large industrial scale — and all eyes are on the projects now moving forward as major domestic utilities look to phase out coal by 2030. NB Power has publicly expressed great interest in the conversion of the 467 MW Belledune Generating Station in northeastern New Brunswick from coal to advanced woody biomass – black pellets. “According to NB Power, 300,000 to 500,000 tonnes of pellets needed, but these all need to be torrefied or steam-treated pellets. That’s a huge opportunity domestically, and if we can make that work, there would be opportunity to do this elsewhere,” Panah says. If the conversion can be done successFALL 2026
fully at the scale of the Belledune Generating Station with Canadian black pellet producers leading the way, this could create significant opportunities to convert other coal-fired power plants here and abroad. “We are capable of producing really high-quality, high-energy-density pellets, and that makes a huge difference,” Panah says. “You don’t need to store this material inside anymore, and that’s a game changer.” WPAC is planning on taking a few of its members to Europe to tour torrefaction and steam treatment plants so they can see these technologies in operation. Some of the processes involve pelletizing the material prior to the torrefaction or steam treatment of the pellets; while other methods start with the torrefaction or steam treatment of the materials then go forward with the pelleting process. Each configuration comes with its own trade-offs in plant modification, product handling and final product quality, and costs for both approaches are still being reviewed.
Value of Biogas conference tour to GrowTEC Biogas Facilitiy in Coaldale, Alta. Photo: CBA.
Panah adds that there are still many factors to review including cost of modification; and comparing energy densities and overall quality of the final products. “That’s part of the study for NB Power. We’re going to take them and look at these technologies,” she says. “I’ve always been
skeptical about torrefaction because I’ve seen so many companies from 2007 to now that have come and gone, but I think that’s changing. With established technology suppliers now in the space and commercial plants starting up in Asia, we are at the point where we will see this happening in a
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short time frame” Over the past 12 months, inquiries into black pellets and other advanced woody biomass have been increasing. “A year ago, it wasn’t like that. But now I see requests coming for biocarbon, biochar and torrefied pellets,” Panah says. BIOGAS
Production of renewable natural gas (RNG) has grown considerably within Canada’s biogas sector in recent years. According to the Canadian Biogas Association’s (CBA) 2026 Canadian Biogas & RNG Market Summary Report, Canada’s biogas and RNG sector has nearly 300 projects currently in operation producing RNG from a combination of agricultural, municipal, industrial, wastewater, and landfill feedstocks. In 2024, the biogas sector produced more than 32 petajoules (PJ) of low-carbon energy for use as RNG, electricity, and heat and processed over 2 million tonnes of organic waste. This growth is expected to continue in the short-term and long-term. “We are anticipating a fourfold increase in RNG production over the next few years based on the projects in development,” says Sarah Stadnyk, director of policy and communications at the CBA. There are 26 new RNG projects scheduled to come online within the next few years, and the CBA expects they will each provide more than 25 PJ of RNG. “With RNG we’re seeing these opportunities, and it’s really a
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Dicklands Biogas in Chilliwack, B.C. Photo: CBA.
mixture of landfill gas facilities and also agricultural and standalone facilities that process organics,” Stadnyk says. “We’re also encouraged seeing more municipalities implementing green bin programs, so that’s really great; because that organic waste can be destined for anaerobic digestion.” One example of a larger RNG production plant coming online soon is the Convertus York Biofuel Facility that is currently under construction in York Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Convertus recently announced the financial close of $135 million in project financing for its flagship biofuel facility, which will be the first biofuel plant in Canada to incorporate integrated CO2 liquefaction technology. In a recent interview with Canadian Biomass, Convertus stated that the facility will have the capacity to process upwards of 200,000 tons of organic waste annually from the Regional Municipality of York and surrounding areas using its anaerobic technology; converting the waste into RNG and nutrient-rich organic fertilizers. The facility is expected to generate 350,000 to 400,000 gigajoules (GJ) of RNG annually. Commissioning of the Convertus York Biofuel facility is expected to start this year with service commencement in early 2027. One company that is already in operation in Ontario is Generate Upcycle, which is the largest producer of RNG from food waste in North America. The company operates 12 sites across Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., including 11 anaerobic digestion facilities and one food waste pre-processing facility. In Canada, the company operates a large anaerobic digestion facility based in London. The facility processes organic waste supplied by various large municipalities across the province and produces 450,000 GJ of RNG annually. Generate Upcycle has plans to expand the facility to boost production to 675,000 GJ and process upwards of 225,000 tonnes of organic waste per year. The London facility also has 2.85MW of electricity generation capacity and produces a liquid digestate that is a CFIA-registered organic fertilizer and used on local Southwestern Ontario farms.
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RENEWABLE FUELS AND FOREST RESIDUALS With the number and size of wildfires growing in Canada and other parts of the world, finding ways to use some forest residuals as feedstock for various biomass applications to help mitigate forest fires is growing. This includes advanced biofuels. “It’s always been in focus, but it’s increasingly in focus as we are in the summer wildfire season in Canada and in southwestern Europe, and removing some of the fuel from the forests and being able to use that towards low-carbon fuel production is yet another reason why these should be pathways that are pursued,” Ghatala said. “The gasification with Fischer-Tropsch approaches to low-carbon fuel production need to be brought to the table in ways that produce real volumes.” The ABFC members are encouraged by applications overseas in Nordic countries where co-processing is occurring using forestry-derived materials. “Canada is very strong on forestry, very strong on agriculture. There’s a policy design that we have that can encourage greater use of these pathways,” Ghatala says. He adds that if the sector can help reduce damage done by wildfires while creating new economic sectors, providing resilience to the forestry sector, and reducing overall emissions in the process, this appears to be a clear policy framework under which to pursue an expanded lignocellulosic biofuel sector. “It appears to be a clear societal benefit to reduce the risk of wildfire by removing forestry residues,” Ghatala says. Wastewater is another growth area for the Canadian biogas and RNG sector. “There’s quite a few operational biogas projects that are wastewater because anaerobic digestion is inherent to the treatment system,” Stadnyk says. “Some wastewater treatment systems choose to use it for electricity or onsite heat, if they can. Otherwise, they typically flare it. But we are seeing more municipalities looking at opportunities for using that biogas, too.” One big challenge is a lack of definitive political signals from federal and provincial governments showing their support for growing the RNG market.
“We are having great conversations with government and seeing more awareness for biogas and RNG, but the lack of clear political signals in terms of policy and programs does limit the investment and development in the sector,” Stadnyk says, adding that better certainty related to the Clean Fuels Regulations (CFR) is needed. “The CFR is valued and supported by the industry, but delays with getting approvals under the CFR create material and financial risk, specifically with carbon intensity (CI) approvals that are needed to generate credits. Streamlining CI approvals will help projects generate credits and gain certainty in the market.”
Another way that the federal government can assist biogas producers is through an amendment to the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Currently, there is a waste biomass ITC that covers biogas to electricity projects. This is seen as an opportunity for biogas projects, however the CBA says that biogas is trending towards RNG production, not electricity generation projects. “The CBA will continue to advocate for the further expansion of Canada’s suite of ITCs to support and accelerate investments in biogas and RNG equipment and to fully realize Canada’s biogas and RNG’s potential,” Stadnyk says.
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2026-07-07 10:19 AM
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ADVANCED BIOFUELS
When it comes to growth Canada’s advanced biofuels sector, opportunities and challenges largely revolve around the fact that biofuels are a regulation-driven market. “Regulations are created through policy. Policy can reflect politics, and politics are very divisive at the moment,” says Fred Ghatala, president of Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC). While there is significant politically fuelled risk, Ghatala says there has never been a stronger focus on Canada’s biofuel sector than under the current government. He adds that this is reflected by the recently released report as part of the federal, provincial, territorial table on biofuels called, Growing a Resilient Canadian Biofuel Sector. “It points to a more strategic approach to the biofuel sector,” Ghatala says. “It’s a welcome focus on a sector that does so many things; from providing a trade turbulence-resistant market for our domestically produced feedstocks in agriculture, forestry, and recycled products to creating made-in-Canada investments that support good-paying jobs, while enhancing energy security and reducing GHG emissions in the process.” Renewed focus on the decarbonization of the transportation sector – including the harder to decarbonize sub-sectors like aviation, marine and rail – has been welcomed by the ABFC and its producer members. Ghatala says the global market now reflects the strong US Renewable Volume Obligation, which is causing installed production capacity to be used at rates that have not been
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Arbios Biotech’s bio-oil plant in Prince George, B.C. Photo: Arbios Biotech.
seen in the last five years. “The U.S. is trending towards over 90-per-cent capacity utilization of biodiesel and renewable diesel production assets, which is causing Canadian fuels and feedstocks to also participate in the large RVO that was put in place by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA,” he says. “At the same time, we have the federal Biofuel Producers Incentive (BPI) that became effective January 1, 2026, and runs for two years. This is a near-term response to the US 45Z incentive. At the time of this interview, we’re also expecting the CFR targeted amendments to be released to respond to the current trade dynamics of 45Z-enabled biofuels being exported from the U.S. into the Canadian market.” Renewable fuels are increasingly becoming an ongoing part of Canada’s fuel supply. According to 2024 data, there is more than nine-per-cent renewables in gasoline and over seven-percent renewables in diesel. Ghatala expects the 2025 data to show continued growth. “We expect to have greater penetration of renewable fuels into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel than we’ve ever had in Canada; an increasing share of this production will be from Canadian facilities using Canadian feedstocks.” he says. Ghatala adds that select provinces have been able to update their regulations to help domestic producers remain competitive. ABFC recognizes the actions taken by the governments of British Columbia and Ontario to ensure that Canada’s biofuel sector can survive during this period of trade turbulence. “We have domestic content requirements on the diesel pool that came in place last April, and on the gasoline pool that came in place as of Jan 1, 2026,” he says. “It’s also useful to see Ontario proceed with that as well, and the federal CFR consider other similar opportunities to make sure domestic fuels are domestically competitive.” Ghatala adds that there are currently projects in B.C. that are approaching final investment decisions; and that there has been sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced in the province through the co-processing pathway.
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ABFC believes that co-processing will be part of the renewable fuel production landscape in Canada; and that policy must be designed to ensure that the standalone low-carbon fuel business model is able to endure and expand alongside co-processing. “They’re different technologies, but they’re both ways to increase renewable content into the fuel mix,” Ghatala says. “ABFC supports technologies and policies that increase renewable content in the fuel supply because we think this is what will enable internal combustion engines to remain relevant as we continue to see the effects of climate change – even if the current political will globally is very focused on energy security.” Canada’s CFR is internationally viewed as a strong policy design, and this will create opportunities to expand the country’s biofuels markets overseas. Ghatala says the country’s CFR includes all of the key components of a strong policy
design such a compliance credit trading market; a science-based lifecycle analysis approach; clear land use and biodiversity criteria; and compliance pathways that encourage emission reductions from the traditional oil and gas sector. “All of these things combine to create a policy framework that is potentially adoptable in other countries; because the benefits of renewable fuels are calculated by the regulation under which they are used, having similar regulatory approaches in other countries encourages a framework for trade,” Ghatala explains. Another area of strength for Canada is having plentiful agricultural and forest feedstock supplies. On the agricultural side, the increasing crush capacity in the canola sector is the condition precedent for added-value agricultural processing to make these feedstocks into renewable fuels. On the forestry side, Ghatala says government activities such as the Canadian
Forest Sector Transformation Task Force and initiatives like the Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone Initiative are useful to unlock the potential of increased forestry participation in the renewable fuel sector. “There are few countries with as many gifts as Canada has – resource wealth, global geographic location, good governance. Having capital flow towards the bioeconomy, it reflects those strengths,” Ghatala says. “This is what is going to set us up for harnessing the focus on Canada’s strong energy security, energy reliance, and reducing emissions. Ghatala says there are many reasons for optimism in the advanced biofuels sector. “While this is a market challenged by political risk, it is hard not to feel positive momentum behind us, given the attention of governments and the market responding to that intention and increased signals,” he says. •
SUPPLIER OF THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR DUST MITIGATION NEEDS For over 60 years, we have proudly designed and manufactured our equipment in Quebec.
PHONE 418-839-0671 | EMAIL info@rodriguemetal.com
CanadianBIOMASS CFI_Rodrigue Metals_AugSept26_CSA.indd 1
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BUYER’S GUIDE 2026 COMPANY INFORMATION AIROFLEX
www.airoflex.com 563-264-8066
AIRPLUS INDUSTRIAL
www.airplusindustrial.ca 866-291-6855
ALFRED H. KNIGHT NORTH AMERICA
www.ahkgroup.com/ 225-644-9245
ALLIED BLOWER
www.alliedblower.com 604-930-7000
AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) www.akahl.de 905-806-6837
BANDIT INDUSTRIES
www.banditchippers.com/ 989-561-2270 In 1983, Mike Morey Sr. and six employees built the first Brush Bandit chipper in a small MidMichigan pole barn. Today, Bandit has 560,000 square feet of manufacturing space, provides products to over 56 countries, and has five diverse product lines consisting of hand-fed and whole tree chippers, stump grinders, horizontal grinders, and slow-speed shredders. In 2024, Bandit Industries introduced its first hammermill grinder, the HM6420, marking a major advancement in high-capacity grinding technology. Designed through extensive research and collaboration, the HM6420 was built to handle demanding grinding applications that may contain contaminants while delivering exceptional productivity and durability.
BAUM PNEUMATICS INC.
www.baumpneumatics.com 604-945-4507
ANDRITZ
www.andritz.com/feed-and-biofuel-en 570-546-1253 ANDRITZ Feed & Biofuel is one of the world’s leading suppliers of equipment, technologies, automation & digitalization solutions, and technical services for the animal feed, aqua feed, pet food, and biofuel industries. The company delivers complete plant solutions and process expertise that help customers maximize productivity, efficiency, and product quality. Through its global service network, ANDRITZ also supplies wear and spare parts for ANDRITZ pellet mills and other brands, helping customers improve reliability, reduce downtime, and optimize plant performance.
BIOMASS ENERGY LAB
www.biomassenergylab.com 218-428-3583
www.buettner-energy-dryer.com 704-910-0162
CLARKE’S INDUSTRIES, INC.
www.clarkes-ind.com 541-343-3395
BM&M SCREENING SOLUTIONS
www.bmandm.com 800-663-0323
BRUKS SIWERTELL
ANHYDRO INC. (SPX FLOW TECHNOLOGY)
www.brunettemc.com 604-522-3977
BAKER-RULLMAN
www.bulldogbag.com 800-665-1944
www.baker-rullman.com 920-261-8107
BUETTNER ENERGY AND DRYING SYSTEMS NORTH AMERICA, LLC
BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT
www.bruks-siwertell.com 770-849-0100
www.spx.com/en/anhydro/ 704-752-4400
BUSKIRK ENGINEERING
www.buskirkeng.com 260-622-5550
www.beande.com 317-522-0864
ASTEC / JEFFREY RADER
www.JeffreyRader.com 855-483-7721
BURTON MILL SOLUTIONS
www.burtonmill.com 360-225-8267 Burton Mill Solutions provides a complete range of products and services to help pellet producers improve performance, reliability, and efficiency. Capabilities include pellet die reconditioning, fuel and feed die refurbishment, roll shell rebuilding, and new fuel and feed dies. Backed by East Coast Die’s 30+ years of expertise, we deliver precision die cleaning, resurfacing, and machining along with technical support, expanded capacity, and reliable delivery services helping reduce downtime, extend equipment life, and maximize productivity.
BRUNETTE MACHINERY COMPANY INC. BULLDOG BAG LTD.
COMACT
www.comact.com 450-435-2121 For over 100 years, Comact has delivered high-performance wood processing equipment, digital solutions, cutting tools, and expert project services. Whether for new or existing facilities, we help customers boost throughput, ROI, and long-term competitiveness. Backed by innovation and a commitment to excellence, Comact ensures your investments perform at the highest level in a constantly evolving market. Discover how we can support your growth by visiting www.comact.com.
CONCEPT-AIR
www.concept-air.ca 866-644-0041 Successful solutions for aspiration systems and industrial processes. Our dust collectors are designed to efficiently treat a variety of particle types. We offer a turnkey service that meets the most demanding standards in the industry!
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Photo: © Petra Richli / iStock / Getty Images Plus
PELLET GEAR BUYER’S GUIDE 2026
PELLET GEAR
CONTROL UNION CANADA
controlunion.com 604-988-8484
COPERION K-TRON
www.coperion.com 785-825-1611
CONTINENTAL CONVEYORS
www.continentalconveyor.ca 418-338-4682 Continental provides a full range of mechanical bulk handling and storage equipment including en-masse chain conveyors, screw conveyors, belt conveyors, disc screens as well as storage and reclaim solutions. Robust designs coupled with over 50 years of wood industry and related experience assures quality conveying systems for pellet, biomass, fuel, and wood processing industries. Contact us to see how we can help you move your bulk materials.
CPM
www.onecpm.com 800-366-2563
CPM BLISS
www.onecpm.com/bliss 580-765-7787
CPM DORSSERS
www.onecpm.com/dorssers 519-676-8113
CPM JACOBS
www.onecpm.com/jacobs 800-831-2005
CSE BLISS
www.csebliss.com 580-749-4895
CV TECHNOLOGY, INC.
www.cvtechnology.com 561-694-9588
DIEFFENBACHER NORTH AMERICA, INC
www.dieffenbacher.com 519-979-6937
MOISTTECH CORP
FIKE CANADA INC
www.fike.com 800-363-8116 Fike’s consultancy and dust testing services offer comprehensive assessments, risk management solutions and testing to ensure NFPA compliance and protect facilities from explosion risks. From identifying potential threats to implementing mitigation solutions, Fike delivers actionable insights and support every step of the way. Trust Fike to keep your operations safe, efficient, and compliant.
FIREFLY AB
www.firefly.se 011 46 08 4492500
EARTH CARE PRODUCTS, INC.
www.ecpisystems.com 620-331-0090
ENERGY UNLIMITED INC.
www.energyunlimitedinc.com 608-935-9119
FAGUS GRECON, INC
www.fagus-grecon.com/en-us/ 704-912-0000 Fagus GreCon the leader in Spark Detection and Extinguishing Systems for over 50 years, helps eliminate early causes of fires and explosions. InfraRed sensors detect sparks/embers and then automatically trigger countermeasures.
MÜNCH-EDELSTAHL GMBH
www.muench-edelstahl-gmbh.de/en 011 49 02103 58996
PELLETING TECHNOLOGY NETHERLANDS PHELPS INDUSTRIAL
FLAMEX, INC.
www.sparkdetection.com 336-299-2933 The FLAMEX Spark Detection and Extinguishing System is a cost effective solution for the prevention of fires and explosions. Dryers, hammermills and other equipment can cause sparks, which are typically the ignition source for process fires in wood pellet facilities. The FLAMEX System uses infrared detectors to identify sparks and hot particles and extinguish them. The system can also be programmed to activate deluge valves, alarms, abort gates, and equipment shut down.
FNA INC.
www.fnainc.net 514 501 3352
GEA CANADA
www.gea.com 819-477-7444
HARGASSNER NORTH AMERICA INC.
www.hargassner.com 437 837 2300
www.phelpsindustries.com 501-375-1141
PLAYER DESIGN, INC.
www.playerdesign.net 207-764-6811
PORT METRO VANCOUVER
www.portmetrovancouver.com 604-665-9000
PORT OF BELLEDUNE
www.portofbelledune.ca 506-522-1200
PORT OF HALIFAX
www.portofhalifax.ca 902-426-8222
PORT OF MONTREAL
www.port-montreal.com 514-283-7011
PORT OF QUEBEC
www.portquebec.ca 418-648-3640
PORT OF TROIS-RIVIÉRES
www.porttr.com 819-378-2887
www.moisturemeter.eu 011 49 40 87976770 www.dryer-one.com 011 32 87 440 110
MÖLLERS NORTH AMERICA INC.
www.mollersna.com 616-942-6504
www.ptn.nl 011 31 07354 98472
DÖESCHER MICROWAVE SYSTEM GMBH DRYER ONE
www.moisttech.com 941-727-1800 MoistTech’s sensors are engineered to deliver unparalleled accuracy and reliability: continuous non-contact near-infrared moisture analysis enhances product quality and consistency, plant efficiency, lowers energy costs, and reduces waste.
IEP TECHNOLOGIES
www.ieptechnologies.com 855-793-8407 Since 1956, IEP Technologies has led in explosion protection, offering systems to suppress, isolate, and vent explosions for combustible dust and vapor. Innovations include eSuppressor systems, flameless venting (EVN, IV8), rupture-style vent panels, and The Atexon Spark Detection and Extinguishing solution by IEP Technologies. With global operations and expert engineering, IEP delivers advanced safety solutions across industries, while continuing to set the standard in explosion protection. Visit www. ieptechnologies.com. “Together, we save lives.”
KOGER AIR CORPORATION
www.kogerair.com 800-368-2096
MID-SOUTH ENGINEERING STOLBERG GROUP
www.mseco.com/stolberg 604-273-1915
PORT SAGUENAY
www.portsaguenay.ca 418-697-0250
PREMIER TECH SYSTEMS AND AUTOMATION
www.ptsystemsautomation.com 866-571-7354
PRIMARY PACKAGING
www.primarypackaging.com 800-774-2247
PRINCE RUPERT PORT AUTHORITY
www.rupertport.com 250-627-8899
PROCESS AND STORAGE SOLUTIONS
www.processandstorage.com 256-638-1838
PRODESA GROUP
www.prodesa.net 478-501-2111
CanadianBIOMASS
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PELLET GEAR BUYER’S GUIDE 2026
COMPANY INFORMATION
PELLET GEAR BUYER’S GUIDE 2026
COMPANY INFORMATION RETHCEIF PACKAGING
www.rethceif.com 866-298-1876
SINTO
RODRIGUE MÉTAL LTÉE
www.rodriguemetal.com 418-839-0400 ext. 231 Rodrigue Metal Ltd. is a leader in the design and manufacturing of world class Dust Collecting and Clean Air Systems for biomass and pellet plants. We specialize in pneumatic transportation of residuals and work with green and dry byproducts of the sawmilling process. With installations throughout North America and soon overseas, the quality and durability of what we provide sets us apart. We look forward to serving you and fulfilling your needs.
S. HUOT
www.sintoexpert.com 800-463-0025 For over 35 years, SINTO has designed and delivered premium lubrication, rustproofing and maintenance solutions for the transportation, automotive, industrial and heavy equipment sectors. Today, SINTO’s products help biomass and pellet operations reduce maintenance, downtime and equipment wear with specialized greases, synthetic oils, biodegradable lubricants, cleaners and other products built for demanding industrial and forestry applications. Backed by expert technical support, it’s how customers cut costs and boost reliability. SINTO. Geared for performance.
SOLAGEN INC.
www.solageninc.com 503-366-4210
TSI DRYERS
www.tsi-inc.net 425-771-1190 TSI builds machinery for the Wood Processing Industry. This includes Rotary Drum Dryers coupled with Heat Energy systems and Pollution Control equipment (collectively called the “Dryer Island”). TSI also offers technology for Torrefaction (a method of heat-treating wood to enhance certain properties). Our company’s approach to business is based on the technology first and is coupled with a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction. We see the value of our organization being in the development of advanced solutions that offer increased efficiency of production and quality of product.
TWIN PORTS TESTING INC.
www.twinportstesting.com 715-392-7114
www.shuot.com 418-681-0291
SAALASTI CANADA
www.saalasti.com 250-714 2433
SALMATEC GMBH
www.salmatec.de/en 011 49 4172 98970
SCHUTTE HAMMERMILL
USNR INC.
SONICAIRE
www.sonicaire.com/ (336) 712-2437
STELA LAXHUBER GMBH
www.hammermills.com 800-447-4634
www.stela.de 011 49 8724 8990
SGS CANADA INC.
www.tigercat.com 519-753-2000 Tigercat Industries specializes in the design and manufacture of premium quality forest harvesting systems, specialized off-road industrial machines and material processing equipment. Tigercat Industries is a privately owned, vertically integrated Canadian corporation with deep expertise in engineering, fabrication, manufacturing, and the support of machinery suited to severe duty applications.
www.sgs.com 604-629-1890 SGS is a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification, specializing in the biofeedstock and biofuels industry. Our network of globally certified inspectors, auditors, and laboratories will ensure you meet all your operational needs. We offer a comprehensive range of solutions, including on-site analytical testing capabilities, a variety of inspection solutions, stock monitoring, and guarantee services. Moreover, we provide sustainable biofuel certifications to help demonstrate your commitment to protecting the planet. We provide value-added services worldwide, from the field to the fuel tank, from well to wheels.
SIEMPELKAMP ENERGY SYSTEMS GMBH
www.siempelkamp.com 770-424-4141
TIGERCAT
TEWS OF AMERICA CORP.
www.tews-of-america.com 919-240-4425
TIMBER PRODUCTS INSPECTION
www.tpinspection.com 218-428-3583
TRINITY PACKAGING
www.usnr.com 1-360-225-8267 USNR designs and fabricates systems for pellet production and material handling including drum debarking systems and screen and hog towers. Custom-designed to fit your specific production requirements, these structures are versatile allowing for high-volume screens, re-chippers, cyclones, large/ small hogs, and various conveyors and chute-work to transport the chips and bark. Supported by the industry’s largest service staff, USNR is committed to delivering superior customer service, offering support and training throughout the life of our equipment.
UZELAC INDUSTRIES INC.
www.uzelacind.com 414-529-0240
VIBROSCREEN
www.vibroscreen.ca 819-362-8871
WALINGA
www.walinga.com 519-824-8520
WELLONS
www.wellons.ca 604-888-0122
WEST SALEM MACHINERY CO.
www.westsalem.com 877-420-3208
WOLF MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS
www.trinitypackagingsupply.com 856-520-8332
www.wolfmhs.com 763-576-9040
RETHCEIF PACKAGING TRINITY PACKAGING
CPM JACOBS SAALASTI CANADA TIGERCAT USNR INC.
CATEGORIES BAGGING & PALLETIZING AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ BULLDOG BAG LTD. MÖLLERS NORTH AMERICA INC. PREMIER TECH SYSTEMS AND AUTOMATION PRIMARY PACKAGING
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CanadianBIOMASS
CHIPPERS & GRINDERS ANDRITZ ASTEC / JEFFREY RADER BANDIT INDUSTRIES BRUKS SIWERTELL COMACT
DIES & ROLLS AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ
FALL 2026
PELLET GEAR BUYER’S GUIDE 2026
CATEGORIES BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT BUETTNER ENERGY AND DRYING SYSTEMS NORTH AMERICA, LLC CPM CPM DORSSERS CPM JACOBS CSE BLISS MÜNCH-EDELSTAHL GMBH PRODESA GROUP SALMATEC GMBH
CLARKE’S INDUSTRIES, INC. CONCEPT-AIR CV TECHNOLOGY, INC. FAGUS GRECON, INC FIKE CANADA INC FIREFLY AB FLAMEX, INC. FNA INC.
DRYERS
AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ ASTEC / JEFFREY RADER BANDIT INDUSTRIES BRUNETTE MACHINERY COMPANY INC. BUSKIRK ENGINEERING CPM CPM BLISS CPM JACOBS CSE BLISS DIEFFENBACHER NORTH AMERICA, INC MÜNCH-EDELSTAHL GMBH PRODESA GROUP SCHUTTE HAMMERMILL WEST SALEM MACHINERY CO.
AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ ANHYDRO INC. (SPX FLOW TECHNOLOGY) BAKER-RULLMAN COMACT DIEFFENBACHER NORTH AMERICA, INC DRYER ONE EARTH CARE PRODUCTS, INC. ENERGY UNLIMITED INC. GEA CANADA MÜNCH-EDELSTAHL GMBH PLAYER DESIGN, INC. PRODESA GROUP SAALASTI CANADA SIEMPELKAMP ENERGY SYSTEMS GMBH SOLAGEN INC. STELA LAXHUBER GMBH TSI DRYERS UZELAC INDUSTRIES INC. WELLONS
DUST SAFETY & EXPLOSION PROTECTION AIRPLUS INDUSTRIAL ALLIED BLOWER BAUM PNEUMATICS INC. BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT CONCEPT-AIR CV TECHNOLOGY, INC. FAGUS GRECON, INC FIKE CANADA INC FLAMEX, INC. IEP TECHNOLOGIES RODRIGUE MÉTAL LTÉE SONICAIRE
HAMMERMILLS
HANDLING EQUIPMENT BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT BRUKS SIWERTELL BURTON MILL SOLUTIONS COMACT S. HUOT SAALASTI CANADA
INSPECTION, VERIFICATION AND TESTING ALFRED H. KNIGHT NORTH AMERICA BIOMASS ENERGY LAB CONTROL UNION CANADA SGS CANADA INC. TIMBER PRODUCTS INSPECTION TWIN PORTS TESTING INC.
LUBRICANTS COMACT CPM JACOBS SINTO
ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
MOISTURE ANALYZERS
BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT BUSKIRK ENGINEERING COMACT DIEFFENBACHER NORTH AMERICA, INC EARTH CARE PRODUCTS, INC. ENERGY UNLIMITED INC. HARGASSNER NORTH AMERICA INC. MID-SOUTH ENGINEERING STOLBERG GROUP PLAYER DESIGN, INC. PROCESS AND STORAGE SOLUTIONS PRODESA GROUP SOLAGEN INC.
CPM JACOBS DÖESCHER MICROWAVE SYSTEM GMBH FAGUS GRECON, INC MOISTTECH CORP TEWS OF AMERICA CORP.
FIRE/SPARK DETECTION & SUPPRESSION AIRPLUS INDUSTRIAL ALLIED BLOWER AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ
PELLET MILLS AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT BUSKIRK ENGINEERING COMACT CPM CPM BLISS CSE BLISS MÜNCH-EDELSTAHL GMBH PELLETING TECHNOLOGY NETHERLANDS PRODESA GROUP
SALMATEC GMBH SCHUTTE HAMMERMILL
PNEUMATIC CONVEYING ALLIED BLOWER AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ BAUM PNEUMATICS INC. CLARKE’S INDUSTRIES, INC. CONCEPT-AIR COPERION K-TRON CONTINENTAL CONVEYORS KOGER AIR CORPORATION RODRIGUE MÉTAL LTÉE USNR INC. WALINGA
PORTS PORT METRO VANCOUVER PORT OF BELLEDUNE PORT OF HALIFAX PORT OF MONTREAL PORT OF QUEBEC PORT OF TROIS-RIVIÉRES PORT SAGUENAY PRINCE RUPERT PORT AUTHORITY
QUALITY CONTROL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ BIOMASS ENERGY LAB FAGUS GRECON, INC MÜNCH-EDELSTAHL GMBH TIMBER PRODUCTS INSPECTION TWIN PORTS TESTING INC.
SCREENS & COOLERS AMANDUS KAHL GMBH & CO. KG (SARJ EQUIPMENT CANADA) ANDRITZ BAUM PNEUMATICS INC. BM&M SCREENING SOLUTIONS BRUKS SIWERTELL BRUNETTE MACHINERY COMPANY INC. BUSKIRK ENGINEERING CPM CPM BLISS CPM JACOBS CSE BLISS DIEFFENBACHER NORTH AMERICA, INC MÜNCH-EDELSTAHL GMBH PELLETING TECHNOLOGY NETHERLANDS PRODESA GROUP SCHUTTE HAMMERMILL USNR INC. VIBROSCREEN WEST SALEM MACHINERY CO.
TRUCK DUMPERS AIROFLEX ASTEC / JEFFREY RADER BRUKS SIWERTELL PHELPS INDUSTRIAL WOLF MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS
CanadianBIOMASS
17
WPAC CONFERENCE
Sept. 22-23, 2026 Delta Hotels Victoria Ocean Point Resort | Victoria, BC
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Welcome to the West Coast, everyone! I’m excited to invite you to join us at the Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s 2026 Annual Conference in Victoria, British Columbia. This year’s theme is Building Canada Stronger: Navigating the Global Wood Pellet Transition. As we navigate a rapidly changing bioenergy landscape, the Canadian industry must focus on securing supply, building resilient energy systems and advancing next generation bioenergy solutions. Over the course of the conference, you will learn how the global industry is addressing key challenges—from fibre access and supply risk to safety and process safety management—while positioning Canada for emerging opportunities such as black pellets, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and domestic market expansion. Our keynote this year is Don Roberts, president and CEO of Nawitka Capital Advisors Ltd., who will share his perspective on what actually drives investment and project development in Canada’s forest sector—from competing uses of fibre and shifting sources of value to where capital is—and isn’t—flowing. What you’ll take away from this year’s conference: • A stronger understanding of shifting global wood pellet markets and increasing international competition. • Practical insights into upcoming policy and regulatory changes in key markets, including the EU, UK and Japan.
• Strategies to manage fibre access challenges and mitigate supply risk. • Perspectives on positioning Canada for next-generation opportunities such as black pellets, BECCS, carbon dioxide removal and domestic markets. Beyond the program itself, our annual conference is an important opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, welcome new voices, exchange ideas and strengthen the relationships that define our industry. Our sponsors are an essential part of the conference experience. Their generous support and ongoing commitment help make this event possible and contribute to the collaborative, engaging atmosphere that attendees have come to value. We are deeply grateful for their partnership and the important role they play in our conference community. We have an outstanding program planned, and I look forward to welcoming you to beautiful Victoria for what promises to be an engaging, informative and memorable conference.
CONFERENCE SPONSORS PLATINUM SPONSOR
All the best, Gordon Murray Executive Director
SILVER SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS
RECEPTION SPONSOR
PELLET BBQ SPONSOR
GOLF SPONSOR
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Building Canada Stronger
AGENDA
*Agenda is subject to change
MONDAY, SEPT. 21, 2026 | PRE-CONFERENCE 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Golf Tournament - Cordova Bay Golf Course 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Forest and Facility Tour A full-day of biomass installations, manufacturing, and a guided walking tour of the North Cowichan Municipal Forest Reserve. 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Opening Reception
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22, 2026 | CONFERENCE DAY 1 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Registration in the Exhibit Area - Harbour Room 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks Moderator: Fahimeh Yazdan Panah, Associate Executive Director and Conference Chair, WPAC 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Panel Session: Emerging Competition & Market Dynamics Moderator: Gordon Murray, Executive Director, WPAC Speakers: • Hannah Adler, Deputy Editor, Argus Media • William Strauss, President and Founder, FutureMetrics • Manolis Karampinis, Director for Business Development & Membership, Bioenergy Europe • Didzis Palejs, Chairman, Latvian Biomass Association
WOOD PELLET wpac-agm.org ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
• Shane Berg, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Forester, Ministry of Forests, Government of B.C. • Fenton Travis, Shaw Renewables • Phillipe Thériault, TsiDelDel Development Corporation and Tsi Del Del Enterprises Ltd. • Professor Shahab Sokhansanj, University of British Columbia 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibit Area - Harbour Room 3:30 p.m.to 4:30 p.m. Black Pellets and Next-Gen Fuels Moderator: Suzanne Wheatley, McMillan Wheatley Consulting Speakers: • William Strauss, FutureMetrics • Patrick Lapointe, Airex Energy • Chris Wiberg, Biomass Energy Lab • Juergen Jesenko, FLOYD BioEnergy • Andrew White, CHAR Technologies 5:00 p.m. Wood Pellet Barbecue and Reception - Harbour Lounge and Patio John Swaan, the grandfather of wood pellets and FutureMetrics pellet expert, will be cooking his world-famous pellet-smoked ribs.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23, 2026 | CONFERENCE DAY 2 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Networking in the Exhibit Area - Harbour Room 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. BECCS, CDRs and Carbon Markets Moderator: Jamie Stephen, TorchLight Bioresources Speakers: • Bill Adams, Mercer International Inc. • Don Roberts, Nawitka Capital Advisors Ltd.
10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibit Area - Harbour Room
9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibit Area - Harbour Room
10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Policy & Regulatory Outlook Moderator: Karen Brandt, Mosaic Forest Management Speakers: • Manolis Karampinis, Bioenergy Europe • Yasuhisa Okamoto, Drax Asia Japan • Greg Rampley, Canadian Forest Service’s Pacific Forestry Centre • Søren Alsing, Ørsted
10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Strengthening Canada’s Energy Resilience with Biomass: Heat, Industry and Domestic Supply Moderator: Gordon Murray, Executive Director, WPAC Speakers: • Mark Heyck, Arctic Energy Alliance • Jonathan Levesque, Biomass Solutions Biomasse • David Dubois, Fink Machine Inc. • Tony McRae, Drax PLC • Denis Caron, Belledune Port Authority
11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Lunch and Networking in the Exhibit Area - Harbour Room 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Keynote: What is Built in Canada: Capital, Risk and the Forest‑Based Bioeconomy Moderator: Gordon Murray, Executive Director, WPAC Speaker: Don Roberts, Nawitka Capital Advisors Ltd. 1:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Fibre Access and Supply Security Moderator: Gregg Koehler, Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. and Sales Director, Premium Pellet Ltd. Speakers: • Vaughan Bassett, Drax PLC, and President of WPAC • Karen Brandt, Mosaic Forest Management
11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Industry Leadership Session: What We Do Next Moderator: Fahimeh Yazdan Panah, Associate Executive Director WPAC Speakers: • Vaughan Bassett, President, WPAC and Senior Vice President Biomass Sales & Logistics, Drax PLC • Jamie Stephen, Managing Director, TorchLight Bioresources • Gordon Murray, Executive Director, WPAC • Gregg Koehler, Sales Manager, Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. & Sales Director, Premium Pellet Ltd. • Jonathan Levesque, General Manager, Biomass Solutions Biomasse • Fenton Travis, General Manager, Shaw Renewables
CanadianBIOMASS
19
Company
Profile
Made in Canada
ANDRITZ Feed and Biofuel plant in Windsor open for business By Andrew Snook
A
fter 20 months of construction and commissioning, the ANDRITZ Feed and Biofuel Canada plant in Windsor, Ont. is up and running. The specialized facility produces stainless steel pelleting dies with a focus on the biofuels and animal feedstock sectors. However, the dies produced at the plant could also be used in a wide variety of other applications. “Windsor is a key part of our commitment to supporting customers closer to where they operate,” says Lisa Demetrius, marketing communications manager for North America at ANDRITZ. “By manufacturing dies and critical replacement parts locally, we’re strengthening supply chain reliability, reducing lead times, and helping customers maintain peak performance across a diverse range of industries throughout North America.” The pellet dies produced at the 70,000sq.ft. Windsor plant can be used in pelletizing machines produced by ANDRITZ as well as its competitors’ machines. “We supply our customers with dies that are able to fit the different competitors’ machines in the market,” says Jason Poisson, project manager for ANDRTIZ Feed and Biofuel Canada. The company chose Windsor as the location for its latest production facility to strengthen its supply chain for its North America operations. “Speed to market was the biggest reason why we put this plant in North America. We are now able to address our customer needs with short lead times and custom orders much more efficiently” Poisson says. Another reason they chose Windsor was to tap into the region’s skilled workforce.
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Jason Poisson, project manager for ANDRTIZ Feed and Biofuel Canada, shows off recently manufactured dies at the company’s new Windsor plant. Photos: Andrew Snook.
“The workforce in Windsor Essex County is huge for us. It’s a skilled trades hotbed, a true blue-collar town,” Poisson says. During the various stages of planning and construction leading up to the final commissioning of the plant, many different aspects needed to be juggled to ensure a smooth transition into production, including receiving raw materials on time and managing long lead times for the manufacturing equipment. “There was a lot of uncertainty around if the equipment was going to be delivered on time – will it be held at customs or at the port? And then trying to manage customer expectations at the same time,” explains Jay Derhak, general manager of ANDRITZ’s Feed and Biofuel Canada.
Combine the skilled workforce with a prime location to supply the North American market and add in state-of-the-art production technologies and ANDRITZ has positioned itself well to serve the market. “This strategy and plant launch has really cemented us as the leader in die production in North America,” Poisson says. The Windsor facility currently manufactures dies using industry-leading pellet mill drilling technology, with plans to add additional drilling capacity by the end of 2027. With space available for further expansion, the site is well positioned to support the company’s long-term growth plans and the evolving needs of customers across North America. Following the drilling process, the dies are thoroughly cleaned to remove any FALL 2026
The pellet dies produced at the 70,000-sq.ft. Windsor plant can be used in pelletizing machines produced by ANDRITZ as well as its competitors’ machines.
residual debris or steel fragments before undergoing quality testing to verify specifications and ensure optimal performance and reliability. Once the dies complete the manufacturing process, they are placed in a specialized running machine produced by ANDRITZ at its plant in Humenné, Slovakia. This helps wood pellet producers keep up the speeds at which their fibre is being fed into their pelletizing machines after a die replacement. “A lot of our customers want to put the die on their machine and go and not worry about running it. The first operating hours could be tumultuous on any die. We run it here and it basically polishes the inlets as well as the hole to a certain degree; so it’s easier to start up in the field,” Poisson explains. “All of our wood customers want that run-in.” The overall manufacturing process for this facility was refined at its Geldrop operations in the Netherlands, so the process for getting the plant up and running has been fairly efficient. When the management was hired to lead the Windsor facility’s operations, they were flown to the Geldrop facility for training with their European colleagues. “We still continue to work with them for best practices and tips – help us gain
efficiencies,” Poisson says. “Geldrop has refined all the elements to make a die, so we had the advantage to adapt those proven processes.” To ensure quality, ANDRITZ’s Windsor plant runs regular SPDCM meetings – safety, quality, delivery, maintenance, and
motivation – and tracks all those KPIs. “Everybody’s really bought in. Our employees are part of those meetings every Monday and Thursday. We try to keep it really employee focused with a management-focused culture where everybody’s working together – transparency with orders, order intake, deliverables. It’s a good atmosphere and everybody really appreciates it,” Poisson says. With the plant being built from the ground up, ANDRITZ used the opportunity to create a workplace culture that aligned with the company’s overall manufacturing philosophies. “We’ve installed many principles around 5S and other Kaizen and lean management philosophies,” Derhak says. These philosophies also helped build a culture of safety at the plant. To date there has been no lost time since to injuries, including during the construction phase with many subcontractors and guests coming in and out of the facility.
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“We still managed with all the equipment being delivered and new staff being trained to have zero lost time accidents. We’re quite proud of that,” Derhak says. He adds that it was not as difficult as expected to get staff at the plant to buy into a culture of safety. “Windsor is a manufacturing base and it’s rich with safety culture already embedded in many of the organizations because the automotive industry is strong there and because they’re attentive to safety,” Derhak says. COMPLEMENTARY FACILITIES
ANDRITZ has several facilities spread out across North America, and many of them complement each other’s operations. This is particularly true in the case of the company’s production plants in Windsor and Blenheim, Ont., which are only a onehour drive from each other. The company also has a North American-wide outside sales group to assist the Windsor facility’s local sales team. “They also work closely with our inside salespeople in our other facilities, specifically our Muncy facility in the U.S. Through that our sales group is able to help guide sales to the right manufacturing location in an attempt to get customers served as fast as possible at the highest level of quality,” Derhak says.
The overall manufacturing process for ANDRITZ’s Windsor facility was refined at its Geldrop operations in the Netherlands.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
On the digital solutions side of the business, ANDRITZ developed the Metris system for its pelletizing customers, which helps customers build their predictive maintenance schedules, offering helpful information such as vibration analysis. “It’s a good industry practice and a key element to knowing when a machine is shaking just a little bit more than normal,” Poisson says. “Just keeping those eyes on the machine outside of just the maintenance guy doing it. You get the red flags, these indicators, it’s a big advantage.” In addition to servicing all of its equipment across North America, ANDRITZ also performs pre-maintenance inspections of the machines and provides reports.
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The Windsor plant currently employs 26 people running on three shifts with room to grow. ANDRITZ is considering adding a full weekend shift to continue boosting production. POSITIONED FOR FUTURE GROWTH
The Windsor plant currently employs 26 people running on three shifts with room to grow. The company is considering adding a full weekend shift to continue boosting production.
“We’ve got a good-sized footprint here with a lot of room to grow in the future. Other phases will come in to support that. We’re uniquely positioned to support the evolving needs of customers across North America,” Poisson says. • FALL 2026
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The Canada Strong Fund Canada’s $400 Billion Bioindustrial Opportunity By Meaghan Seagrave, Executive Director, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada
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anada is facing a defining economic moment. As global markets shift toward low-carbon manufacturing, industrial resilience, and domestic supply chain security, countries that build integrated bioindustrial economies will secure long-term economic advantages. Canada has the resources, innovation capacity, and industrial expertise to lead this transition. What is needed now is coordinated national leadership capable of aligning policy, infrastructure, capital, and commercialization around a unified vision for a One Canadian Economy - the bioeconomy. The proposed Canada Strong Fund presents a significant opportunity to help deliver that vision. Structured strategically, the fund could become a powerful mechanism for accelerating Canada’s industrial foundation while leveraging its resource endowment, further strengthening the “One Canadian Economy” approach that is increasingly needed in a more protectionist and uncertain global market. Canada’s industrial bioeconomy has the potential to contribute up to $400 billion annually to national GDP while creating tens of thousands of jobs across forestry, agriculture, clean fuels, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and even defence. More importantly, it provides a pathway to strengthen domestic supply and value chains and reduce Canada’s reliance on exporting raw materials while importing higher-value finished products. For decades, Canada has exported productivity, intellectual property, and economic opportunity alongside its natural resources. A coordinated industrial bioeconomy strategy can help reverse this trend by transforming Canadian resources
into high-value fuels, chemicals, materials, and industrial products manufactured in Canada. The Canada Strong Fund is structurally well suited to support this transition because many bioindustrial technologies face commercialization barriers that traditional Canadian financing models struggle to address. First-of-kind commercial facilities for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel, engineered wood products, biochemicals, and advanced biomaterials are all capital intensive, infrastructure dependent, and often perceived as high risk despite strong long-term market demand. Strategic public participation can help Canada bridge the gap between pilot-scale innovation and commercial deployment by supporting shared infrastructure, biomass aggregation and processing hubs, logistics systems, regional industrial clustering, and commercial-scale manufacturing facilities. These investments support far more than emissions reductions alone; they strengthen Canada’s energy independence, industrial competitiveness, housing capacity, and defence readiness while helping create resilient domestic supply chains. The bioeconomy also creates an opportunity to stop treating forestry, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing as isolated sectors competing for capital. Instead, these sectors can become mutually reinforcing pillars of a national industrial strategy. Forestry and energy can converge through biofuels and biochemicals. Agriculture and energy can support sustainable aviation fuel and renewable fuel production. Forestry and construction can advance mass timber housing and prefabrication while supporting northern defence through climate-smart infrastructure.
The timing is critical. More than 25 countries, including many of Canada’s major trading partners, have already implemented national bioeconomy strategies. At the same time, carbon border policies, industrial subsidies, and global competition for investment are reshaping international markets. Canada cannot afford to remain fragmented while other jurisdictions move aggressively to attract capital, infrastructure, talent, and manufacturing capacity. A strategically designed Canada Strong Fund could help reverse this trend by sending a clear signal that Canada is prepared to compete for large-scale low-carbon industrial investment and become a premier destination for commercial bioindustrial development. Importantly, the opportunity is not necessarily about creating entirely new funding streams. The greater opportunity lies in aligning existing federal programs, procurement tools, tax structures, and strategic financing mechanisms under a coordinated national framework. The broader opportunity is clear. Canada can either shape the emerging global bioeconomy or risk having its industrial future shaped by others. With coordinated federal leadership and strategic investment alignment, Canada has an opportunity to build globally competitive bioindustrial systems that strengthen its economic resilience, revitalize rural economies, increase Indigenous partnership and participation in project development, and position the country as a global leader in the new low-carbon economy. • This article was written jointly with the members of the BioCAN initiative.
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