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Municipal District of Greenview and County of Grande Prairie, Alberta

The Municipal District (MD) of Greenview and the County of Grande Prairie, AB, BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘A.’

Rating Issue Date: October 18, 2023.

‘A’ ratings denote high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered strong.

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BDO Zone Rating

Municipal District of Greenview and County of Grande Prairie, AB BDO Zone Overview

This ‘A’ rating was issued for 666,000 gmt/year of woody biomass and spans a radius of 120 km centred around three key points: Grande Prairie, the Greenview Industrial Gateway (GIG), and the Hamlet of Grande Cache.

BDO Zone Assets:

470,000-666,000 green metric tonnes per year of forest residues are estimated to be produced annually given the historical timber harvest levels.
Forest residues currently do not have established markets, and they are mainly piled up at the roadside of the logging operations and burned.
Strong forestry and wood industry sectors with a long history of stable performance and co-existence.
Established Sustainable Forest Management Practices dictated by the Government of Alberta and third-party Sustainability Certification Schemes.
Incredible advantage in offering a closed-loop industrial system to the energy sector seeking low carbon solutions, providing the key infrastructure including access to natural gas, water, electricity, an integrated transportation network, and the ability for carbon sequestration in a carbon capture hub.

BDO Zone Liabilities:

The supply chains are underdeveloped for forest residues and require capital investment to scale up (both logistics equipment and the supporting infrastructure such as forest roads).
New business relationships need to be established between the biomass project developers, tenure holders, harvest groups, and logging companies. If a significant increase in demand for forest residues occurs, the bioproject proponents likely need to resource their trucks and drivers without dipping into existing contractor pools.

Infrastructure

Among the top-rated assets are Land Parcels, Industrial Land Use, Highway Access, River Access, Railway Service, Airport Accessibility, Workforce and Housing Availability and Permitting.

The Greenview Industrial Gateway (GIG) signifies a pioneering stride in Northwestern Alberta’s Clean Energy Manufacturing sector. Established as a leader in its field, GIG’s goal is to develop a world-class eco-industrial complex, emphasizing the value-added petrochemical sector. This expansive project spans 2000 acres (809 hectares) nestled within the Montney Natural Gas deposit. It is strategically located in the Municipal District (MD) of Greenview, about 40 km south of Grande Prairie, AB. The GIG is primed to become Canada’s first closed-loop industrial system, offering a comprehensive infrastructure suitable for manufacturing companies in the energy sector.

On-site Infrastructure Overview:

The Process-in and Exploration Centre, a pre-designed industrial park, provides a host of resources, including operational process water access, full industrial service by ATCO Electric and CN Rail, as well as a direct connection to the TC Energy Main Distribution Line, situated merely 650 meters away. It is strategically located adjacent to CNRL and ARC Resources Gas Plants.
This site also offers a solution for carbon dioxide sequestration, incorporating a dedicated carbon capture hub. Its infrastructure facilitates efficient transport of low-cost natural gas feedstock to market.
Greenview’s Environmental Services Department oversees both the capital construction and daily operations of the region’s water, wastewater, and solid waste systems. However, due to the size and population density variations within Greenview, service provisions may vary by location.

For more information about the Greenview Industrial Gateway (GIG), visit www.greenviewindustrial.ca or contact the BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) Kyle Reiling, Executive Director (kyle.reiling@mdgreenview.ab.ca).

Big Mountain Industrial Park is another forward-thinking industrial hub located in the westerly portion of the MD of Greenview. It provides a light industrial district on a parcel of 43.7 ha (108 acres) for accommodating 19 industrial lots. It offers access to provincial infrastructure and a vacant, developable site in a verdant location, complete with all necessary utilities and services.

The parcel, located southeast of Grovedale, on the east side of primary Highway 40, offers access to both the Two Lakes and Gold Creek areas, leveraging provincial infrastructure. With its landscape gently sloping 5% or less from southwest to northeast, the site is relatively flat. To ensure proper drainage, a stormwater management plan will be put in place during the subdivision application stage, if needed. Industrial operations within Big Mountain Industrial Park can also conveniently access Highway 40 through Township Road 690A.

On-site Infrastructure Overview:

In terms of potable water supply, each lot owner will need to independently manage their water source, as the Developer will not drill any water wells onsite. Any required water wells must comply with the Alberta Water Act.
For sanitary sewage collection, all systems will utilize sewage holding tanks. It falls on individual lot owners to oversee their sewage collection and disposal.
Given the property’s slight slope, drainage naturally flows from southwest to northeast. A stormwater pond will be set up as a public utility lot, accessible via the internal road.
Electrical services will be managed and distributed by Atco Electric as per the Developer’s request, while Atco Gas will handle natural gas distribution for the proposed properties.
TELUS Communications will be the preferred service provider for communication services within the plan area.
Emergency services will rely on the resources available in the MD of Greenview, with fire protection services being the responsibility of the Municipal District.