2030 Energy Strategy

HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE IT BIOMASS SUPPLY While firewood has been-and continues to be-a common fuel source for heating homes in the NWT, expansion of biomass energy supply is challenged by the absence of major forestry activities, as well as limited road transportation infrastructure. Wood pellets or chips are most commonly produced from waste wood from timber harvesting and processing. The NWT does not have a low-cost supply of waste wood, so we must harvest trees to produce pellets or gather biomass from other sources, such as road building, forest clearing, burn areas, or waste materials. Most wood pellets used in the NWT are imported from Alberta or British Columbia. Local pellet production is on the horizon, a development that will create local economic development and jobs, and may reduce the cost of pellets. Wood pellets are generally a less expensive heating source than heating with oil or propane. Wood pellets are also considered to be a renewable resource when harvested sustainably and are therefore carbon neutral. The GNWT is developing a strategy for our forest industry in co-operation with Aboriginal governments and organizations. To support job creation and business opportunities in the forest industry, the GNWT has negotiated Forest Management Agreements with Aboriginal development corporations. Completing this forest strategy will facilitate the sustainable growth of the NWT's forestry industry, which will increase the accessibility of local biomass supplies for energy production in communities. Complementary to this, the GNWT will work with the AEA and communities to establish a new program to support community-based firewood harvesting, to encourage small business opportunities, provide a stable local supply of firewood, and support increased use of cord wood for space heating.ed use of cord wood for space heating. BIOMASS USE The GNWT is committed to expanding the use of biomass for space heating in the NWT. To understand the needs, opportunities and barriers to increased biomass use in the NWT, the GNWT will refine its estimates of biomass use for heating. The GNWT will undertake an assessment of the quantity of cord wood, wood chips and pellets used in residential, commercial and government applications. AEA currently provides rebates for the purchase of residential wood stoves and wood-pellet stoves. Funding is also available to community governments, businesses and individuals to support the purchase and installation of biomass heating systems such as pellet boilers. These popular programs promote the installation of biomass-fired boilers and biomass district heating systems, among other renewable technologies. The GNWT will continue to provide funding to the AEA to continue and expand on their success in these programs. The GNWT will support the installation of biomass boilers in larger privately owned commercial buildings, which are currently too large and costly to be funded through the current AEA programs. Replacement of large oil fired boilers with biomass boilers produces significant GHG reductions. The GNWT will lead by example and continue to install pellet boilers in new and existing government buildings and facilities across the NWT, using the GNWT Capital Asset Retrofit Fund (CARF). With twenty-eight biomass boiler systems as of the end of 2016, the GNWT met 24% of its total heat load. DISTRICT HEATING SYSTEMS Burning diesel and natural gas to generate electricity is inefficient. Sixty-five percent of the energy produced is typically lost as waste heat. That heat can instead be recovered and used to heat nearby buildings. There are also opportunities to build district biomass boilers. This reduces the amount of fuel transported, stored and used for heating. The GNWT will support opportunities to make use of residual and biomass districting heating for buildings in the NWT. OTHER RENEWABLE HEATING TECHNOLOGY Solar energy can also be used for space and water heating purposes. Through the AEA, the GNWT promotes the use of solar air and water heating systems, and offers rebates for residential and commercial applications. The GNWT and its partners will continue to research, monitor, test and promote new technologies for use in the NWT. 24 24

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