OPG’s new role

An estimated 20 per cent drop in energy demand in the city could mean Ontario Power Generation doesn’t refill vacant job opportunities.

From 2008 to 2009, coal produced-energy for Thunder Bay decreased from 0.80-terawatt hours to 0.18. Other Ontario generators increased in production during that same time period.

Provincially six per cent of electricity produced was coal-fired generated.

Derrick Brooks, plant manager for Northwest Thermal Ontario Power Generation, said because of the decrease in energy demand, employees who retire or find work elsewhere may not have their positions replaced.

"It has impacted our employees," Brooks said. "We’re in a position now where we are looking at, when vacancies come in, to gradually reducing our staff compliment over (a period of) time."

Traditionally OPG produced the base load for power in Ontario. Brooks said the company’s role changed from a provider to an entity that acts as insurance for renewable energy initiatives such as wind and solar.

"In northwestern Ontario we’ve changed considerably," he said. "(The decrease in energy demand) primarily because of two reasons. Less demand from all over Ontario and we have new generation facilities in the province that are generating electricity."

By 2014, coal-burning plants are required to stop production, including OPG’s. Brooks said there are plans to convert the Atikokan and Thunder Bay plants to biomass, a more environmentally friendly source of energy.

Employees at OPG have a collective agreement with their unions to ensure job security until 2014; the same time when OPG must stop producing coal. OPG now has 150 employees.

Jane Todd, program manager for Northwest Ontario Power Generator, said biomass is acknowledged as a carbon neutral fuel.

"It is a carbon lean fuel," Todd said. "The fuel of course produces Co2 but that Co2 is taken up by the plants as they grow. The other environmental benefits are a much lower sulphur dioxide, low rate of nitro-oxide compounds and the heavy metals."

Todd said sawmill residue would be made into a fibre less than two millilitres and made into pellets. The pellets look similar to those used to heat homes. Todd said that is what biomass is made up of.