GreenFirst Forest Products is receiving more than $7.5 million in support from the Government of Ontario for two initiatives at its Chapleau facility aimed at increasing productivity and developing new markets for forest biomass.
Ontario is providing more than $5.9 million through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program to support a new sawline and the installation of a high-speed planer. The funding is structured as a performance-based loan, with up to 50% forgivable.
Both the sawline and planer have already been installed and are being ramped up. GreenFirst expects the modernization to improve productivity, lumber recovery and the value generated from each log.
Ontario is also providing more than $1.6 million through the Forest Biomass Program for engineering and feasibility work related to a potential torrefied pellet facility in Chapleau.
If developed, the pellet project could create approximately 30 direct jobs and 70 indirect jobs while establishing additional markets for residual forest biomass.
GreenFirst is advancing the biomass initiative with First Nations and business partners while evaluating its technical, commercial and financial requirements.
Since beginning operations in 2021, GreenFirst has invested more than $70 million across its Ontario facilities. The company owns four sawmills and operates across more than six million hectares of FSC-certified public forestland in Ontario.
KEY QUOTE:
“We thank the Government of Ontario for investing in Chapleau — and in the skilled team that runs it every day. The new sawline and high-speed planer put modern tools in the hands of our people, as we work to capture more recovery and value from every log. The torrefied pellet project could create new markets for our residual biomass and new jobs for the region, building on Northern Ontario’s abundant wood fibre resources. Together, these initiatives support the long-term future of our operations and the community of Chapleau.”
Joel Fournier, CEO of GreenFirst
