MP Gallant Invites Business Proposals to Aid the Forestry Industry

February 04, 2010

Eganville, Ontario… MP Cheryl Gallant, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, is pleased to confirm that the Transformative Technologies Pilot-Scale Demonstration Program is requesting expressions of interest for the implementation of on-mill site pilot-scale demonstration (PSD) plant projects that showcase new/emerging, highly transformative technologies at the pre-commercial development stage with the potential to enhance the competitiveness of the Canadian Forest Products Industry. The Deadline for submission is February 22, 2010.  A pre-screening and preliminary selection of potential pilot scale demonstration projects will follow and companies will be contacted in early March 2010.

“I am concerned about jobs in the working forest,” stated MP Gallant. “I know that the lack of work in the forestry sector has been challenging for our workers and their families. As Canada experiences economic recovery, I want to ensure that no one is left behind in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, particularly in rural areas where jobs are hard to come by. I encourage anyone in the forest products industry to see if this program might help their business. My office is ready and willing to assist in any way we can.”
 
Under the Natural Resources Canada Transformative Technologies Pilot-Scale Demonstration (TT-PSD) Program, up to $20 million is available during the 2010–2011 federal fiscal year (April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011) for the development of on-site pilot-scale demonstration projects of new/emerging highly transformative technologies. This initiative will be delivered in collaboration with FPInnovations and will focus partnering with other parties on projects involving forest sector technologies at the pre-commercial development stage.

Specifically, funding will support the establishment of pilot-scale demonstration plants at existing
commercial forest product facilities in selected locations across Canada. The objective of these pilot-scale demonstration plants is to provide an opportunity to apply engineering principles and demonstrate research readiness in an industrial environment, which will ultimately lead to commercial applications that will help transform Canada’s forest industry and facilitate the competitiveness of the industry well into the future.

This Expression of Interest (EOI) is an initial step in a selection process to identify the highest ranked projects in Canada to receive funding support from the TT-PSD Program. The intent of the EOI process is to develop a short list of projects for preliminary consideration. Project proponents will be contacted starting in early March 2010 to confirm details of the proposed project, possible terms for the negotiation of partnership agreements/memoranda of understanding and, if positive ultimately, prepare formal partnership agreements.

Eligible business partners for this program could include, but are not limited to, forest products companies, equipment suppliers, provinces and not-for-profit research organizations. The TT-PSD funding is available only until March 31, 2011. All reimbursable project costs under this program must have been incurred prior to March 31, 2011, to be considered eligible.