Impact in northern BC

The main impediment to developing a robust timber turbine tower manufacturing base in BC is the absence of timber turbine towers in operation. A fully operational 1.5 MW turbine tower, however, is planned for Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek to provide proof of concept. This test tower will be instrumental in building the foundation for an exciting new industry in northern and central BC.

For the first time a significant new market for high-value timber products (Figure A) can be designed to take advantage of the abundant MPB-affected softwood resource (Figure B) and can take advantage of local skills and expertise to benefit some of BC’s most vulnerable communities (Figure C). The result is a significant opportunity to harvest, mill, process and market high value-added forestry products with minimal requirements for transportation, and maximum benefit to local economies.
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Some of the highest return wind sites in the world are in BC’s Peace Region, and are controlled by Aeolis Wind Ltd.

FIGURE A: The Market
World-Class Wind Power Sites

This is also the region in which community prosperity be most directly affected by brand new markets for high value forest products.

FIGURE C: The People
Forest-dependent Communities

The interior of BC is also where vast volumes of timber must be harvested quickly, and converted to the highest value products.

FIGURE B: The Resource
Pine Beetle-affected Forests