Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
The Prince of Wales Island, Alaska BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘BB’.
Rating Issue Date: January 6, 2025.
'BB' ratings indicate moderate prospects for Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure (FS&I) with an elevated vulnerability to risk over time, particularly in the event of adverse business or economic conditions.
Prince of Wales Island, AK holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘BB’ Rating for Forest residuals, Sawmill residuals, Pulpwood. Issued in Jan 2025, the rating certifies approximately 23,000 gt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 75-mile driving distance from the centre point (Thorne Bay, AK).
A ‘BB’ rating is a speculative grade rating, signalling a viable feedstock supply with elevated risk. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Prince of Wales Island, AK’s feedstock supply has undergone rigorous, standardized due diligence across 100+ risk indicators, the same framework applied to every BDO Zone across North America.
Every BDO Zone Rating assesses a region across three dimensions, mapped as expanding radii around a candidate site.
- Feedstock surplus: Data indicating at least 50,000 tonnes per year of excess feedstock available to support typical intake of new biofuels manufacturing plants.
- Supply chain strength: Evidence supporting long-term commitment to supply both quantity and quality by local farmers, forestry companies, food waste generators, haulers and municipalities.
- Sound infrastructure: Suitable transportation, logistic, operating and supporting infrastructure to meet the requirements for new facility operations.
Assets & liabilities
- Quantities sufficient to support a quadrupling of the regional biomass heating market
- Forestry workforce and equipment scale-up achievable in short timeframe
- Secondary forest wood fiber availability increasing significantly over 15-20 years
- Old-growth harvest ban significantly limited wood supply, causing sawmill curtailments
- Wood supply and equipment concentrated with larger sawmill; no collaboration guarantees
- Doubling smaller sawmill operations required to achieve rated quantities
- Zone remoteness creates market, infrastructure, and workforce challenges
Infrastructure & sites
- Former log yard with flat terrain and truck access
- No buildings present
- Water and basic utilities available
- Limited telecommunications
- Elevated energy costs
Local grants & incentives
- Alaska Resource Development Council
- Alaska Support Industry Alliance
- AIDEA New Market Tax Credits
- Rural Development Initiative Fund