The B.C. government has launched a fund that will invest carbon tax revenues in projects throughout the province, including one at Nanaimo’s Harmac Pacific pulp mill.
According to the B.C. government, the CleanBC Industry Fund will invest carbon tax revenues of $12.5 million in 16 projects throughout the province. . Additional contributions from industries will raise the total fund value to more than $55 million.
“Our government is building a better future for people throughout B.C. by investing in new projects that will reduce emissions and support clean development opportunities for industry,” George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, said.
“We recognize the importance of working together with businesses to reach our CleanBC targets and build a stronger, more innovative economy where people in communities across the province thrive.”
One of the projects is new electrocoagulation technology at Harmac Pacific’s employee-owned pulp mill in Nanaimo. Electrocoagulation is a technique used for wash water treatment, wastewater treatment, industrial processed water, and medical treatment. It has the ability to remove contaminants that are generally more difficult to remove by filtration or chemical treatment systems.
The B.C. government said the new technology at the Harmac Pacific mill will improve the waste-treatment process and reduce the use of natural gas to power a bio-mass boiler on site.
“The CleanBC Industry Fund is helping Harmac Pacific improve the way we operate our pulp mill by moving away from fossil fuels and reducing our emissions,” Levi Sampon, president of Harmac Pacific said in a statement. “The investment from the province will help us treat mill waste more efficiently using cleaner technology while supporting good local jobs in Nanaimo.”
To be eligible for funding, CleanBC Industry Fund applicants must have emissions over 10,000 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year and be a reporting facility under the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act. Successful projects were chosen based on a competitive process and an evaluation of detailed project plans, business cases and the potential to cost-effectively reduce emissions.
The government said this year initial slate of CleanBC Industry Fund projects is expected to reduce approximately 700,000 tonnes CO2e over the next decade – roughly the same as taking 250,000 cars off the road for a year. Additional projects will be announced in early 2020 following signing of funding agreements.
According to the government, provincial payments are funded through carbon tax revenues paid by industry and will be distributed to successful companies based on construction and implementation milestones to reimburse a portion of eligible project expenses.
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