New Brunswick's Belledune Generating Station will stop burning coal and switch to wood and hemp biomass pellets by November 2029, according to N.B. Power. The utility says the change will cut carbon dioxide emissions from the plant by 70% and cost $65 million. Federal rules require all coal generation to end by 2030. The pellets will come from Canadian suppliers, including a new facility at the Port of Belledune involving two First Nations, Arbec Forest Products, and Quebec's Airex Energy. The partners say they will use forest slash left over from logging, not cut trees specifically for fuel. N.B. Power estimates the fuel supply chain could create 700 to 1,000 jobs. The utility has not yet said how much more the pellets will cost compared to coal, only that they are 'definitely a bit higher.' It calls the conversion the least-cost option to meet the federal coal phase-out deadline. The plant currently employs around 120 to 130 people, plus 30 to 40 regular contractors.
