Three years ago,
the shadow of the recession made its
initial appearance in a decline of
electrical power consumption in
Ontario.
Pointing to a
graph, Frank Chariotti traced a line
showing a 40 per cent drop in energy
use in 2008 compared to 2004.
Acknowledging that conservation was
a factor, he said a bigger impact
was beginning in the manufacturing
sector as production in factories
began to decrease.
Chariotti, who is
the senior vice-president of the
fossil fuel (coal) department of
Ontario Power Generation (OPG), said
he expected demand to rebound but to
the level used in 2004.
On April 17, he
spoke about power demands and an
environmentally friendly option,
biomass, during his DREAM
presentation in the Dunnville
Secondary School cafeteria.
Over recent
years, the peak demand switched from
winter to summer because of air
conditioning and use of electronics.
In the evenings, demand is so low
that the OPG is giving away power,
said Chariotti. In fact, prices are
negative for a few hours in the
middle of the night, he added.
Presently OPG
creates 70 per cent of its power
from fossil fuel and nuclear power
plants. The rest is generated by
water, wind and gas fired plants.
OPG operates 64 hydro plants
including Sir Adam Beck in Niagara
Falls and four plants on the
Mattagami River near Timmins. Other
run-of-the-river plants are called
into service as needed.
It was no
surprise to learn that the most
power is used in southwestern
Ontario. Last year that part of the
province used almost half the
nuclear generated power, 36 per cent
of hydro and 23 per cent of fossil
fuel.
Versatile
coal-fired power generation follows
the demand with units ramped up in
the morning and then turned back in
the evening, pointed out Chariotti.
Under a provincial government
directive, coal will no longer be
used at Nanticoke and the Lambton
and Atikokan plants after 2014.
Under the new
Ontario Green Energy Act, coal will
be displaced by renewable sources,
gas fired generation and
conservation. From 2008 to cessation
of coal use, carbon dioxide
emissions will be reduced.
Presently
Nanticoke is fired up with Wyoming
coal that is heated at a lower
temperature making it a smaller
carbon footprint, said Chariotti.
The $6 billion plant was built in
1970 in the Nanticoke industrial
park.
To preserve
public investment in the plant, OPG
will convert to a few of the
Nanticoke units to accommodate
biomass for fuel. An Ontario
environment ministry certificate
will be required to run with biomass
only.
Wood pellets and
chips and nonfood agricultural products
including straw, wheat shorts and corn
will be the new fuel sources. The result
will be a 90 per cent decrease in
emissions, noted Chariotti.
Other than transportation, biomass will
be carbon neutral. Trees will be used
for the wood source and trees absorb
carbon dioxide, he added.
The Ontario ministries of energy,
agriculture, and natural resources
support OPG's direction to biomass,
reported Chariotti.
Empty tobacco fields in Norfolk County
could yield corn or wheat for energy
production. A large swath of forest
between Sudbury and James Bay has poor
quality wood and can be harvested and
replanted on an ongoing basis, said
Chariotti. Poplar trees could be the
species of choice due to fast growth.
The transformation will mean cleaner air
but higher hydro costs. One megawatt
from coal costs $35 and from biomass
will cost up to $200.
"Tests are encouraging," said Chariotti
of biomass experiments at the Nanticoke
and Atikokan plants.
Over two years of tests in Atikokan, OPG
was able to make enough power for 300
homes. When biomass is used as the sole
source for former coal plants, 4,700
tons of carbon dioxide will be
eliminated.
With the environmental savings comes new
costs. The fuel is expensive and must be
stored indoors to keep it dry. Since no
food crops can be used, renewable wood
crops will be needed, noted Chariotti.
This could be an incentive to restart
the forestry company, Bowater
Incorporated in Thunder Bay, he hen the
northwestern Ontario economy will
rebound, he noted.
Meanwhile studies will continue in
Nanticoke which will be fuelled by
biomass by 2014. With alternate energy
sources, conservation and a new
Darlington plant, Ontario's needs will
be met, Chariotti said in answer to a
question from Geoff Johnston.
Kornelius Neudorf of Lowbanks pointed
out that algae is the best fuel choice.
It can be burned to produce heat to
steam up water used to generate power
and algae feeds off of carbon dioxide,
he noted.
In
response, Chariotti said tests on algae
are in their infancy with universities
but it is not known if those studies
will translate into power generation.
Barb Kazemi asked if it made sense to
build a new Bruce Power nuclear plant in
Nanticoke. The Ontario Power Authority
or the government decides on the
potential for new nuclear plants and
they will look at it, said Chariotti. At
this point, only a new Darlington site
is approved, he added.
The Ontario government has made it very
clear that new nuclear plants can only
be built on existing plant sites, he
p>Carolyn King of Mississaugas of the
New Credit asked about selling power to
Quebec and the United States.
When prices are negative, power is
distributed outside the province and at
times, when demand is not meeting needs,
Ontario buys power from Quebec and the
United States, answered Chariotti.
Under the Ontario Places to Grow act,
the population in the Golden Horseshoe,
which includes most of the Grand River
valley, will increase by five million,
pointed out King. She suggested that
power generation plants be located
beside the urban centres that use the
power.
