Natural Resource Canada funds study for potential pellet project

On March 5, Natural Resources Canada announced plans to investment $220,000 to support a study that could result in the development of a wood pellet project in the Beaufort Delta region of the Northwest Territories.

According to information released by the Canadian government, the $220,000 investment will enable Nihtat Corp. to undertake a capacity development study to look into options for wood pellet plant development, wood-based biomass opportunities and biomass supply chain enhancements in the Beaufort Delta region. The project aims to encourage the use of biomass as a healthy and economical choice for heating that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The funding award is part of a larger announcement by made by Natural Resources Canada in which it said it will invest more than $3.5 million in two indigenous-owned Nihtat Corp. projects that aim to create jobs, cut energy costs and reduce fossil fuel consumption.

The larger award of $3.3 million will allow Nihtat Corp. to combine solar power with battery storage to help three local businesses and 32 residential units in Inuvik and Iqaluit run almost exclusively on solar energy during the spring and summer months.

Both projects are being funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program. The goal of the program is to reduce the reliance of rural and remote communities on fossil fuel for heat and power, with particular emphasis on Indigenous communities.