By Glenda Eden - AgriNews Staff Writer

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SD&G – Eastern Ontario is heading in the right direction and setting itself up to take advantage of future technological advancements in green energy production.

Establishing Bioheat in Eastern Ontario Utilizing Switchgrass and Agricultural Biomass for Solid Fuel, a recent bioheat industry report prepared for the SD&G Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC), spells out what many in Eastern Ontario have espoused– the region is ideal for a warm season pellet fuel industry.

The report, part of the Agriculture Industry Framework, a larger project to develop food, beverage and bio-products in Stormont Dundas & Glengarry, looked at the feasibility of growing switchgrass and processing pelleted fuel for heating homes, institutions and commercial and industrial buildings. There is also potential for the pellets to be exported to the European energy market.

As well as initial funding last spring through the research and development framework project, the CFDC, a non-profit economic development agency, will continue to provide human resources to switchgrass pellet production and other bio-products through administration, project management and target marketing across North America through tradeshows, industry journals and the internet, said Jon Sookocheff, CFDC’s Economic Development Coordinator.

"The report speaks to the strength of our region," said Sookcocheff, of the skilled labour force, affordable land base and a transportation system that provides access to both international and North American markets.

Local partners in the project also include Hendrick Seeds, Forman Farms and DES Environmental.

The report, prepared by the energy crop consulting firm, Resource Efficient

Agriculture Production Canada (REAP), outlines not only the feasibility of the pellet industry but the use of switchgrass in cellulosic ethanol production, biogas and direct combustion for thermal energy. REAP is based at the MacDonald campus of McGill University at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec.

Cellulosic ethanol production is of particular interest and the completion of the report better ables the bio-products industry in Eastern Ontario to take advantage of this emerging technology to produce ethanol from sources other than food crops such as corn. The bio-heat industry in Eastern Ontario is doing the work now, said Sookocheff, to establish a presence in future developments in cellulosic ethanol production using grass and agricultural residue.

According to the report the grass pellet fuel industry could have major socio-economic and environmental benefits in Eastern Ontario. Switchgrass, a perennial native species, which can be grown on marginal farmland with minimal imputes, provides an affordable green energy source.

The market opportunity with the greatest sustainability and least long-term risk, according to the report would be the development of regional markets as well as local commercial markets like greenhouses, schools and correctional facilities.

Farmers in Eastern Ontario could in fact be planting switchgrass as early as this July. Switchgreen, a local switchgrass pelleting company born of the agricultural framework initiative has acquired switchgrass seed for farmers interested in the emerging market.

James dePater, a facilitator with Switchgreen, said there are a couple of hundred acres of Switchgrass being grown in Eastern Ontario right now. The green energy company has plans to process grass on a limited scale at their pelleting facility in Iroquois as early as next spring.

Seeded in July the perennial grass reaches maximum yield in its third season, although a pretty decent harvest can be had in the second year. Mowed in the fall and left in the field until it is baled in the spring, the grass requires no imputes except perhaps a bit of nitrogen at start up. It could be a profitable alternative to farmers currently growing and selling hay, said dePater.

Grown on marginal land using conventional seeding and harvesting equipment, switchgrass should bring in about $400 per acre in revenue.

Switchgreen pelleted a small amount of grass last year, which was used to heat greenhouses at Forman Farms at Seeley’s Bay. The trial run or proof of concept, said dePater, allowed the company to look at the actual processing and handling of the product and to determine BTU, ash content and any presence of clinkers in the boiler.

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