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New Fredericton school will be the first to be heated with wood pellets – Aug 2011
September 6, 2011 - The elementary school scheduled to be built on Fredericton’s north side will be the first in the province to be heated by wood pellets, says the New Brunswick government.
September 6, 2011 By Alyssa Dalton
From left: Natural Resources minister Bruce Northup “We are committed to implementing provincial policies that encourage the use of wood pellets and other bio-fuels to heat provincial buildings,” said Transportation and Infrastructure minister Claude Williams. “The Department of Supply and Services is reviewing provincially owned buildings to identify viable opportunities for conversion to biomass energy.
“We are also encouraging the installation of biomass boilers to cover base heating requirements on new construction projects, particularly in areas of the province where natural gas is not available,” he continued.
The hot water heating boiler, fired by wood pellet, was included in the school’s tender package which was issued in the spring. The hot water boiler plant will use wood pellets as the base fuel while automatic controls will engage natural gas boilers to provide extra heat during extreme weather conditions, said the government. It estimates the 500 kw boiler will use about 300 tonnes of pellets annually.
According to Natural Resources minister Bruce Northrup, the provincial government continues to work with stakeholders to address the “critical issues facing the forst industry,” which includes developing a Wood First policy to encourage the use of heating buildings with wood pellets.
Maxim 2000, who received the contract, has identified October 2012 as the preliminary target date for completion.
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