Pinnacle Renewable Energy announced on May 31st that it will cease the Quesnel, BC, pellet plant operations.
The plant was opened in 1998 and was meant to process a diet of dry residuals from the local sawmills, as Quesnel Observer reported.
“That source of fibre is no longer available. As a result, there is currently no secure, sustainable, economically available fibre to support the operation of the Quesnel mill,” said Leroy Reitsma, President of Pinnacle.
The Mountain Pine Beetle infestation has created an inventory of standing timber that, while useless as sawlog, is suitable for wood pellet manufacturing.
Thus, Pinnacle Renewable Energy will work with the administration holders and the provincial government as to see if a viable economically framework could be kept with secure access to non-sawlog standing timber. The Quesnel plant will also need significant investments as to be able to process the new fibre source into wood pellets, as reported by the Quesnel Observer.
“We believe it makes sense right now to take the time to do the analysis required to determine the scope and feasibility of making those upgrades. This period of curtailment is necessary to do that work,” added Reitsma.
Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. runs several pellet plants in British Columbia and was founded in Quesnel in 1988.
