An overhead view of the proposed location for a pellet making plant. (Submitted photo/ Brent Miller)

By Nigel Maxwell

Local industry

Shellbrook explores pellet processing plant

Mar 3, 2021 | 5:00 PM

A processing plant that would offer an alternative to coal may one day have a home in west-central Saskatchewan.

Shellbrook Town Council has expressed interest in the idea of a pellet processing plant. Councillor Brent Miller told paNOW the area near the town’s sewage treatment plant would be ideal.

“You can’t build residential within 600 metres of it, so it’s perfect for heavy commercial, light-industrial type development,” he said.

The pellet plant is currently one of several big projects on the town’s radar. The town is also involved in talks with the Rural Municipality (RM) of Shellbrook and Prince Albert Rural Water Utility with respect to the construction of a new water treatment plant in the area where the Shell River meets the North Saskatchewan River. The results of two separate feasibility studies may be in by later this month. Miller said the pellet plant could tie in really well, given that if the town can secure a good supply of water, then they can attract more industrial and commercial development.

“Our interest right now is finding a local market,” he said.

Event Centre funding

City may hire lobbyist for event centre money

35m ago

International honours

Raiders' Kubiesa to represent Czechia at IIHF U18 Men's World Championship

4h ago

Learn the signs

How often should you change your brakes?

7h ago

Describing the pellets as resembling “broken pencils”, Miller explained the pellets are burnable refuse from lumber mills or from what farmers leave behind after harvest. The material gets compacted together and can be used as a coal alternative for running and heating homes or even barbecues. Miller suggested there may even be some interest from SaskPower to help reduce the province’s carbon footprint.

“Very preliminary talks with them at this point. There would have to be some studies to see how the boilers would be affected by the ash and whether they would have the same BTU content in the burn rates,” Miller said.

Miller added Shellbrook is also perfectly positioned for this kind of plant due to its location on the northern edge of the grain belt where there’s all types of agriculture products, plus all the refuse from the forest industry.

Mayor Amund Otterson also supports the initiative, and explained the town’s newly formed commercial development committee is taking a serious look at it. He added one of the obvious challenges for a project like this is having a water supply.

“We don’t have a water main system extended that side of the town limits yet,” he said.

But Otterson explained he can get behind any development that can help offset the town’s business and residential tax.

“I think we are a business friendly community and we would gladly like to see some kind of industry,” he said.

The market

Heat Smart Plus, south of Prince Albert off highway 11, sells food grade pellets used for barbecues, as well as some actual pellet burning appliances. Store owner Brian Martin told paNOW he was very interested to see what the Town of Shellbrook does.

“If we had a local supplier of pellets here, we would want to sell them for sure. We would be looking into doing whatever we could so long as they get a proven product,” he said.

Martin has done extensive research in the use of coal alternatives, and explained farmers have long been relying on coal, but with the carbox tax driving prices up, wood pellets can provide a cheaper option because they are carbon neutral. Martin said the challenge going forward for the town will be ensuring they can get enough mass supply.

“A few hutterite colonies in Manitoba are doing it, but not near enough the production to meet the need we are going to have,” he said.

So long as they can find a way to keep productions costs down, Martin said there is a definite appetite in the world right now for carbon neutral products.

Premium Home Leisure in Saskatoon also sells the pellet burning grills. Manager Sandra Wieler explained they’ve had a hard time keeping the appliances on the shelves.

“Everyone is just loving them because it’s a lot more fun to cook and the flavor is phenomenal,” she said.

–

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell