Just in time for cooler temperatures, the Sicamous Community Bio-Heat Facility is up and running.
A year-and-a-half after breaking ground on April 22, 2022 (Earth Day), the district announced the facility is fully operational and ready to supply cost-effective alternative energy to properties in the industrial park.
“The leadership of the District of Sicamous is another example of how local authorities across British Columbia are taking action to reduce climate pollution by turning waste into energy,” Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman stated at the time of the ground breaking. “These projects are part of the CleanBC Roadmap, our comprehensive approach to creating stronger economies and healthier communities that work for everyone.”
As of Nov. 9, the new service already had one customer who confirmed that it’s working well and has huge improvements over the previous system. As more businesses are developed in the industrial park, the district hopes to connect additional users.
The bio-heat facility uses a biomass boiler heating system to repurpose wood waste into fuel to provide energy in the form of hot water between 60 and 80 C at a flow rate of 35 cubic metres per hour.
The district has contracted Enderby-based Fink Machine, Canada’s largest supplier of commercial-scale biomass boiler systems, to operate the system for the next two years, which includes supplying the fuel in the form of clean, dry chipped wood.
A backup system is also in place, however, to ensure the system is still fully functional if the boiler goes down for any reason, with propane and generators installed to keep mainline pumps running.
Anyone with questions or wanting to connect can contact the district public works department at 250-836-4105.
Read more: Sicamous bio-fuel heating facility nearing completion