Cogent recently wrapped up commissioning on a greenfield biomass project located near the town of Chapais in Quebec. Barrette-Chapais and various other investors have invested $70 million to build an industrial wood pellet plant that will process much of the residuals from Barrette-Chapais’ nearby sawmill. The sawmill has been operating since 1975 and produces sawdust, shavings and chips that must be recovered in order to remain profitable. By building the pellet mill nearby, the configuration will allow the pellet plant to have a supply of materials that will come exclusively from the by-products of the sawmill. Approximately 210,000 tonnes of pellets will be produced at this plant each year and exported abroad. This project will also contribute to the global fight against climate change through the replacement of coal with wood pellets in the production of electricity. This investment will allow Barrette-Chapais to retain 350 jobs at the sawmill and create an additional 40 jobs in transportation and at the mill.
Since it is the first plant our clients have built, Cogent’s experience building industrial biomass facilities was an asset to our clients when determining the specifications and requirements. On the project, Cogent worked on control narratives and PLC programming for the dryer and furnace. Our team was able to apply the knowledge they gained from previous projects such as technical lessons. The adoption of advanced technology at the mill will deliver economic benefits to rural and Indigenous communities and the surrounding region by improving the mill’s competitiveness, enhancing productive capacity and diversifying its product base.
“Innovation in the forestry sector will help combat the effects of climate change, create new markets for Canadian forest companies and sustain good jobs for Canadians,” says Paul Lefebvre, parliamentary secretary to Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s minister of natural resources, voicing the government’s support of this project.
About Cogent Industrial Technologies
Cogent is a professional services firm offering independent expertise in Industrial Technologies and Project Management to industrial operations around the world. Our technical expertise include Process Engineering, Industrial Safety, Industrial Automation, Electrical, Industrial IT and Operations Performance Management Systems delivering a totally integrated plant connecting equipment, processes and people.
About Granule 777
Granule 777 Inc is a new company incorporated in 2017 to establish a new wood pellet production facility in northern Quebec. The Wood pellet Plant is established in the municipality of Baie James close to the town of Chapais.