VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Bioénergie La Tuque (BELT), Quebec, Canada have signed a collaborative agreement, the main purpose of which is to lead to the installation of a biorefinery facility supplied with forest residues. The project resulting from the collaboration between VTT, BELT and Canadian research institutions aims at producing more than 200 million litres of biodiesel annually from the conversion of forest residues. This should replace non-renewable fuels in transportation, therefore leading to a projected annual reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 575 000 tonnes. The project should also result in the creation of nearly 500 direct and indirect jobs in the region. Ultimately, the project aims at attracting major partners interested in investing in a commercial plant.
Practices for harvesting and estimating biomass supply are different between Finland and Canada. This is why VTT was invited to the consortium, to assess the data and to provide knowledge on the project. The project value for VTT is EUR 192 000 and the work will be conducted by 2018.
5398/AS
