First American Scientific Corp. (fka FASC)

[TRCPA]

Reduction of GHG emissions: heating Saint-Malo

September 6, 2012
By: Alain Castonguay

http://magazinemci.com/2012/09/06/reduction-des-emissions-de-ges-chauffage-saint-malo/

Saint-Malo heating produces steam for several clients in the industrial park of the same name for many years in Quebec. For 90 years, the boilers were fueled by various types of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas). They will shortly be supplied with wood powder, with a very promising new method to retrieve the waste timber.


Heating Saint-Malo (CSM), producer and distributor of steam industrial park Saint-Malo, was recently sold by its former owner, Claude L'Heureux, who operated the facility since 1985.

Two forest engineers in the region of Quebec, Jean-François Côté and André Proulx, joined Mohammed (Simo) Lakhmiri, a specialist thermal region of Montreal, to buy the company. The sale was completed early in 2012, but it took time to realize the time to perform the environmental studies on the site.

Parallel to the steps taken to purchase the assets of the company, the new owners have taken steps to find funding for their new technology. The Quebec government is also giving them financial assistance to one million dollars. Quebec City is also interested in the project (see box).


CSM President, Jean-François Côté, strongly believes in the potential of KDS processor and energy production from wood powder.

With this funding, MSC will implement a process that converts waste biomass into wood powder, which can be used as is or converted into pellets for combustion in furnaces. CSM will also acquire a press pellet burner and a hybrid (wood powder and natural gas), which can both adapt to a standard boiler fuel.

A letter of agreement has been signed with a large retail chain to sell the entire production of granules.

According to the company, the potential for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) project and the deployment of its technologies elsewhere in Quebec in 2022 will be 100 000 tonnes in CO 2 , which is equivalent to the annual emissions 30,000 automobiles.

"Producing energy cheaper and cleaner is obviously at the heart of the mission of CSM," says Jean-François Côté, president of the company.

CSM produces and distributes energy industries and neighboring buildings through a network of steam about 1.5 km. Jean-François Côté confirms its intentions to expand the customer base, especially with two hospitals in the Saint-Sacrement and green city, situated between the two (see photo above customer).

Dry biomass

MM. Proulx side and interested in the enhancement of forest biomass for several years. Burning sawmill residues (bark, sawdust, shavings) has long been used to feed the boilers wood dryers.

Convert biomass into green chips then produce heat energy or power a turbine in a cogeneration process is also known in the paper industry.

When facilities operate at full capacity, MSC will require approximately 15,000 tons of green biomass. This ecocentres come from the Quebec City area where debris are sent every type CRD (construction, renovation and demolition).

This debris is then sorted by a subcontractor who own separate biomass, such as wood pallets, and biomass where you can find contaminants such as paint and adhesives. Powder from the clean material used for the production of granules, while the other feed boilers CSM.

Unique process

The patent system decay kinetics (KDS) Micronex owned by First American Scientific Corporation (FASC) based in Vancouver. KDS technology was developed in a laboratory of Hydro-Québec says Côté.

At the time, we wanted to turn the mill sludge into fertilizer, but the system did not work because of too much moisture content of the product.

The KDS process allows water to eradicate all forms of biomass, separating the water from the biomass is shredded by the four blades rotating at 1750 rpm. Biomass is ground and the moisture content is reduced to 10%.


Moreover customers already served in the industrial park Saint-Malo, CSM also plans to supply the two hospitals in the Saint-Sacrement and green city, situated between the two.

The processor measures 27 feet high, but it covers only 200 square feet. The system low power consumption and low maintenance. It can dry any biomass for conversion into fertilizer. It is used in Malaysia to reduce powder palm biomass which has already extracted oil.

The interest of CSM is to create a technological showcase for the KDS process. The plants are large enough to CSM provides an opportunity for researchers from Université Laval, FPInnovations and other laboratories to conduct various experimental work, including the use of other types of residues to produce the energy.

"At the manufacturer FASC delivered between 35 and 50 KDS processors around the world, but it is impossible to see one in action, explains Jean-François Côté. We believe very strongly in the potential of this technology and we want to inspire others. '

As is the case for the main boiler to CSM, the next stations could be equipped with a hybrid burner that can burn as much wood dust and other types of fuel (natural gas or oil).

Price competition

Biomass supply and packaging accounts for approximately 70% of the cost of production of granules, says Côté. Transform and demolition scrap granules cheaper than using forest biomass. Energy production based on wood powder remains competitive despite the very low price of natural gas.


Supplier sorts biomass into two categories to separate that which is clean (bag grade 1) that which is contaminated (bag grade 3). The processor can also grind KDS branches to produce the wood powder.

The current price of natural gas is at its lowest in North America. It costs twice as much in Europe and in Asia three times. "In the medium term, analysts predict that natural gas will become a commodity product whose price is the same everywhere in the world," says the entrepreneur.

The pellet burner could be used to feed power plants and provide power and heat for facilities in remote areas will never be served by the gas network. Often, as seen in the remote villages of Nunavik, electricity is generated by power plants burning oil.

Assistance program Technoclimat

Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade and Minister responsible for the region of the Capitale-Nationale, Sam Hamad, confirmed the grant of financial assistance of $ 1 million to St. Malo Heating July 20. He made the announcement on behalf of his colleague, Clément Gignac, as Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife (MRNF). The money comes from Technoclimat program managed by the Office of efficiency and energy innovation.

This program, which stems from the 2006-2012 Action Plan on Climate Change , aims to fund innovative projects demonstration should aim for a reduction of GHG emissions in Québec, have a good potential for replication and marketing be carried out in Quebec. "The project of the Saint-Malo heating company will showcase technology for all industries and institutions of Quebec for which there is a potential for technology transfer," said Hamad. His colleague, Clément Gignac added that "Technoclimat program is an important tool to support demonstration projects for green technologies to reduce GHG emissions."

Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume welcomes investment. "The City of Québec encourages such innovation. I hope that the proposed heating Saint-Malo encourage other industries in the region to reduce their ecological footprint. In the coming years, more and more elements will be built according to the principles of sustainable development. I hope that these new energy sources become a signature for the city of Quebec, "concluded Mayor Labeaume.

In its statement, the City also applauds the vision of developers to produce more heat, especially when approaching greenhouses so they settled on the flat roofs of unoccupied buildings in the industrial park.