ATIKOKAN – The process has taken more than a decade to complete, but the Atikokan Generating Station burned its last piece of coal Wednesday.
The conversion of the Atikokan plant from coal to biomass was announced in July, and is now in motion. The project is expected to create 200 construction jobs, and the province has invested $200-million toward the changeover.
The project is also expected to create forestry jobs, to provide the biomass fuel for the plant. The McGuinty government plans to eliminate coal-fired generation as part of building a clean energy system in Ontario.
When it's complete near the end of 2014, the Atikokan station will deliver more than 200 megawatts of power.
Since 2003 the province has cut the use of coal by 90 per cent.
(Thunder Bay Television)
