Forest Biomass Supply/Demand estimates for NS

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Page posted Nov 26, 2024.These are rough estimates based on public available info. Estimates are revised as better data are obtained, or (preferably), government/industry produce authoritative, publicly available stats. Last Update: Nov 29, 2025

Entity Current
or Projected
Green Tonnes
per annum
Comments
PHP [1] Current 750,000 Heat &Electricity, 60 MW generator
Brooklyn Energy [2] Current 325,000 Heat & Electricity  30 MW generator
Hefler [2] Current 40,000 Heat & Electricity 3.7 MW generator
Dalhousie AC Campus Truro [3] Current 20,000 Heat, and 1 MW electriciy generator
Taylor Lumber[4] Current 30,000 Heat &Electricity, 1.5 MW; estimated
Shaw Resouces- pellets [5] Current 100,000 Assume 2.1 Green Tonnes/Tonne Pellets
GNT- Pellets [5] Current 200,000 Assume 2.1 Green Tonnes/Tonne Pellets
BDO SW Nova Scotia [6] Projected 550,000 SW Nova Scotia is an ‘A’ rated Bioeconomy
Development Opportunity Zone.
Nova Sustainable Fuels (prev.Simply  Blue) [7] Projected 750,000 Green Hydrogen project
District Heating [8] Projected 3,800,000 estimate
Public Buildings Wood heat [9] Current 20,000 estimate
Other [10] Current 100,000 Guesstimate
Total Current
& Projected
6,685,000

NOTES

Northern Pulp before it closed took in approx 265,000 odt roundwood fibre, and 263,000 odt sawmill by-products per annum (source: Feedstock Availability and Cost in Nova Scotia By County and Specific Locations. FP Innovations, NS Innovation Hub, Aug 2021) approx. equal to 1,056,000 Green Tonnes (assuming 50% moisture). When it closed, apparently much or most of the “roundwood fibre” came from chips produced by sawmills processing smaller diameter roundwood from thinnings,  treetops etc. (see Pulp Culture: How Nova Scotia’s Faustian bargain with the pulp industry may leave the sawmills in ruins Linda Pannozzo in Halifax Examiner Mar 12, 2019; also Forest Thinnings for Integrated Lumber and Paper Production, J.Y. Zhu et al., 2007 in Forest Products Journal )

Sources

1.PHP: Port Hawkesbury Paper biomass plant officially opens”  Canadian Biomass, October 30, 2013 “The biomass-fuelled cogeneration plant, owned by Nova Scotia Power, will use approximately 650,000 tons of biomass per year. That volume will provide 60MW of power, enough to provide power for around 50,000 homes.” From “Forest Biomass Energy Policy in the Maritime Provinces: Accounting for Science”,  Jamie Simpson, 2015: “The facility is estimated to consume some 705,000 tonnes of woody biomass annually, as purchased, at least 385,000 tonnes of which is expected to come from forest harvesting, and the remainder from various mill residue sources”. “Province tells Nova Scotia Power to burn more wood to generate electricity” Taryn Grant for CBC News, Mar 14, 2025 – hence I increased the estimate to 750,000 tonnes – davidp

2.  Nova Scotia Biomass FAQ on forestdefenders.eu (2021)

3.  Dalhousie plans to revamp biomass energy system By Mary Jane Webber in Canadian Biomass, May 25, 2017;Dalhousie University Energy and Green Buildings Plan 2020–2030 figure of 20000-21000 tonnes is also cited in Nova Scotia Power increases use of biomass for generating electricity by Jennifer Henderson Halifax Examiner, Nov 24, 2021; Can Dalhousie/AC lead the way on proper accounting for bioenergy in Nova Scotia? Post NSFN November 22, 2018.

4. See FETF NOVA SCOTIA FORESTRY SECTOR Highlights (2023 data), Taylor Lumber listed Under Heat & Energy Slide, 1.5 MW facility.

5. Draft Regional Risk Assessment for the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, SBP seo 4, 2024, Section 4.8, p39

6. BDO Zone Rating for SW Nova Scotia Zone (Issued publicly Jan 26, 2024); 550,000 figure cited as recently as July 2025 The Clean Tech Sector in Nova Scotia, Canada-Nova Scotia doc.

7.  Nova Sustainable Fuels figure: See Oct 25, 2025, NSF E.A. Doc ; NS ECC Nova Sustainable Fuels Renewable Energy Park Project

8. Local Energy, Healthy Forests, Strong Communities: Strategy for a Nova Scotia Alternative Energy Future by Jamie Stephen et al., Torchlight Bioresources, Feb 2025, page 17. Figures given are in cubic meters, I have assumed a cubic meters to green tonnes conversion factor of 1.0; it could be a bit lower if detailed for diff. feedstocks etc. (re: https://novascotia.ca/natr/forestry/registry/annual/2001/ConversionFactors.PDF). Also view: Presentation by Jamie Stephen posted on Youtube, at approx 27:00 min..Title: How to cut Maritime GHG emissions by 30% by 2030 At circa 27 min. “By far the largest source of mortality, of losses, is mortality not harvesting.”

9. “20 public buildings, including schools and hospitals, already use wood heat and two more are in development” – see Government Promotes Wood for Construction, Heating, 17 July 2025; FAQ What is the small-scale wood heat initiativeNS Gov Forest Review (2018) “The annual quantity of wood to heat the public buildings is expected to be between 300 to 2,000 tonnes (equivalent to 12 to 80 tractor-trailer truckloads) of fuel chips per building…In most cases, buildings with medium-sized heat loads will require less than 500 tonnes (equivalent to about 20 tractor-trailer truckloads) of wood chips annually.

10. Other, e.g, Small scale firewood use;  the total could be much much higher, re:  Registry of Buyers Annual 2025 Report, page 8.