The Innovacorp Demonstration Centre in Liverpool is on target to create opportunities for good forestry jobs for families in rural Nova Scotia.
The centre offers companies a research, development and demonstration site, and will help the province’s forestry industry thrive in the future.
Establishing this centre is also in keeping with the province’s natural resources strategy.
The province will continue to support CelluFuel with a $1.5 million, 10-year repayable loan to help with the capital costs associated with purchasing and establishing a wood fibre biomass-to-diesel pilot plant in Liverpool at the mill site. This pilot plant will create up to seven new jobs.
“In December, we announced CelluFuel as one of the demonstration centre’s first tenants. We’re happy to support CelluFuel as it prepares a pilot plant to allow for the production of biodiesel from wood,” said Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Graham Steele. “This investment is a perfect fit with jobsHere as we continue to create employment opportunities and grow a stronger economy.”
Establishing a pilot plant will also allow CelluFuel to increase productivity and manufacture diesel fuel to be sold to both Canada and the U.S.
“This will be a brand new, state-of-the-art facility. The equipment purchased from overseas will be delivered and ready for quick installation,” said CelluFuel president Chris Hooper. “Premier Dexter has said ‘there is plenty of life left in the mill’. He was right. The work to be done by CelluFuel is a clear example of the successes we are seeing when it comes to innovation and opportunities for the forestry industry.”
Clean and renewable energy is one of the fastest growing sectors in North America. Nova Scotia’s natural resources strategy calls for support of research and development of new, sustainable uses of natural resources. CelluFuel’s biodiesel pilot falls squarely into this category.
“We have been working very hard this year to develop this project and are beyond excited for CelluFuel, the forestry sector and rural communities in Nova Scotia that we are able to move forward,” said Hooper. “The support we are receiving from the Jobs Fund and the province is a fundamental part of a complete package that also includes investors and other strategic partners. All of which is enabling us to take this next step towards an exciting new forestry-based renewable industry in Nova Scotia.”
CelluFuel will be fully operational by February.
The Nova Scotia Jobs Fund pursues investment opportunities for communities in transition, industry sectors, regional support, small business programs, infrastructure and large industrial ventures.
Source: Release