This initiative brings together public- and private-sector partners with a shared goal of developing community-based power generation that will strengthen local energy resilience and provide additional capacity to support future load growth.
The project will also contribute to sustainable forest management by creating local offtake opportunities for residual forest biomass. By providing a productive use for wood biomass that may otherwise be piled or left as slash, the facility has the potential to support both responsible forest management and local energy generation.
“This funding from the Province of Ontario will allow the Town of Fort Frances along with its partners AUX Energy and Mitigokaa Development corporation to continue to position and develop Fort Frances as a Green/Clean energy center,” Mayor of Fort Frances, Andrew Hallikas, said.
“This funding will go towards supporting the development of a Biomass to Electrical Energy facility in Fort Frances. This exciting project, which is environmentally friendly and fulfills the province’s need for more and diverse electrical energy generation will contribute to the economic development of Fort Frances and the entire region. The Town of Fort Frances is grateful to the Province of Ontario, AUX Energy, and Mitigokaa Development Corporation for the support that they have provided and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with these partners," said Hallikas.
The Town of Fort Frances, AUX Energy, and Mitigokaa Development Corporation have already begun this important work in earnest, with the final report for the first phase of the project was anticipated in October. The completion of this initial phase will provide a critical foundation for determining the next steps toward advancing a community-based biomass-to-energy facility in Fort Frances.
Continued support from the provincial and federal governments will be essential to building on this momentum and moving the project toward implementation. Strategic government investment and partnership will help unlock the significant economic, environmental, and energy-resilience benefits this initiative can bring to Fort Frances and the broader region.
