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The Proposed Ethanol Project 
The Kindersley Ethanol Project group partnered with Meadow Lake, Moosomin, Canwood and Bengough communities to form the Prairie Ethanol Consortium. We have accessed 75% funding from the Biofuels Opportunities Produce Initiative (BOPI) to develop a business plan. The member communities will contribute the remaining 25%. In January,we hired Ken Graham as project manager and Myers, Norris & Penny to complete a common business plan with part of the plan addressing individual community issues. February through April saw the completion of the first progress report and delivery in April to the PEC (Prairie Ethanol Consortium). This is a BOPI requirement and identified activities performed to date, project objectives, project obstacles, project successes, timelines and budgets. The completion date for the business plan is mid-July. Our group is also studying Bio-Diesel opportunities for our area. IMF-Corp is suggesting 90% farmer ownership of a 30 million litre plant. Presently, they are helping build 4 plants across Canada. This plant would use about 56,000 mt of canola\year, provide about 24 fulltime jobs, has a testing lab on site, has 4 potentially high paying by-products, returns about $25 million\year to the local economy and costs about $22 million to build. We may bring this group to Kindersley for a presentation for you to consider. September update: The group that began working toward an ethanol plant for the area has expanded it's vision, chairman, Richard DeConinck Smith said. A proposed bio-fuels plant for this area would distill both ethanol and bio-diesel, with much of it's byproducts consumed by a neighboring feedlot. The group is considering a plant that produces about 20 million litres of each fuel annually. Many area farmers grow canola, the feedstock for bio-diesel. The Rural Municipality of Kindersley received $500,000 under the BOPI to hire a co-ordinator who is now working on applications for more provincial and federal help. The provincial program offers loans up to $10 million to projects that produce at least 2 million litres of bio-fuel per year. The program repayment terms represent a good incentive to invest in the plant. At present, 3 firms, including a Quebec engineering firm, are working on various aspects of the project. DeConinck Smith hopes they will be in a position to take a share offering to the public early in 2008 with as much farmer participation as possible. A report is expected later this month from the co-ordinator on the status of applications, then meetings with engineering and business-planning to review progress. ***The group is considering 2 potential sites for the proposed plants near the heavy haul primary grid passing through the RM with access to Hwy 7, rail, 3 phase power and the fibre optic network. It's distant from a large community, so the odour produced would affect the fewest people. It requires a well capable of producing approximately 200 gallons\minute. The plant would have its own reverse-osmosis water treatment system to guard against bacteria. Using water from the rural line to D'Arcy was never considered. ***** POINT OF INTEREST: As of December,2006, there is ethanol production capacity of 1.2 billion litres in Canada. The 2006 requirement for ethanol at a 5% blend requires 3.6 billion litres! An additional 2.4 billion litres would be needed for 2006 figures. By 2010, it will be much more. An ethanol facility would offer numerous benefits to our region, not just the agriculture sector but also career opportunities, several economic spin-offs and a financial return on your investment. For more information,stop in at the REDA office at 101-5th Ave. East. or Phone West Central REDA: 306-463-1997. BACK TO COMMUNITY INFO PAGE |