Transition to more biomass heating in N.W.T. requires better supply chain, advocates say

A gathering of advocates, researchers and government officials in the N.W.T. this week is looking at biomass as a viable alternative to diesel in the territory.  

The Arctic Energy Alliance's "Biomass Week" started Monday in Yellowknife and continues all week. Biomass is organic matter — for example, wood — that is used to generate energy.

Statistics Canada data shows that diesel accounted for roughly half of the territory's total energy demand in 2023. A significant portion of that diesel is used for space heating and power generation, according to the Canada Energy Regulator.

The non-profit Arctic Energy Alliance wants to help steer the territory away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources.

One question about fuel sources in the North is how reliable they are and Mark Heyck, executive director for Arctic Energy Alliance (AEA), says that's a theme of many of the presentations and events this week.

"If communities are moving towards biomass, they need to know that they've got some security of supply in terms of the fuel itself," said Heyck.

If the territory is to move away from fossil fuels, Heyck believes biomass is a viable option. He says having more certified wood-stove installers and people who can service and install pellet stoves in the territory is helping.

Biomass heating, with wood pellets, is also proving to be cost effective too, he says.

"I think anybody that has been using wood pellets for space heating in recent years will tell you that they experience considerable savings, over what diesel-fuel costs are for heating right now," said Heyck. 

Currently, N.W.T.'s supply of wood pellets comes from the south. That can make it vulnerable to supply-chain disruptions.

Joshua Earls, is the president of Green Energy NWT Ltd. in Norman Wells and he's in the wood pellet business. He said his company anticipated supply chain issues this past year and prepared accordingly.

"We just couldn't risk that there was gonna be no barge, and at that point what we did is we brought in a year's worth of wood pellets on last year's winter road," he said.

"What we were able to do is keep our prices the same, while fuel prices went up."  

Heyck said considering communities that don't have all-season road access is a priority, and a topic of discussion happening throughout this week.

More storage capacity needed for biomass, researcher says

Ghazaleh Mozafari, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, is part of a research team that has been looking into biomass energy systems. She recently connected with the Arctic Energy Alliance and shared her team's findings at Biomass Week, about the supply chain in the North.

She says the Norman Wells storage facility for wood pellets could be one of the largest in North America, with 1,380 tons of storage capacity. It's a good distributing hub for surrounding communities, she says.

After looking at transportation infrastructure in the territory, the researchers found the Beaufort region faces the most challenges. Low water on the Mackenzie River, along with less-reliable conditions on winter access roads, can make accessing wood pellet supplies more difficult.

"They face very unique challenges and we need to focus on improving the storage system there, especially going forward," said Mozafari.

Currently, a storage facility in Inuvik can hold 300 tons worth of pellets, and Mozafari said expanding the capacity an additional 900 tons would greatly increase opportunities for communities in the region.

Mozafari said another storage facility in Behchokǫ̀ would also be an ideal option since the community is connected to Highway 3 and has direct access to Edmonton. She said even a smaller, 300-ton storage facility there could help supply communities in the area.