Renfrew County, Ontario
The Renfrew County, Ontario BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘AA’.
Rating Issue Date: February 7, 2024.
'AA' ratings denote very high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and very low expectations of default risk in the Zone. They indicate very strong ongoing capacity of the region to support new biobased plant operations. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
Renfrew County, ON holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘AA’ Rating for Sawmill residuals, Pulpwood. Issued in Feb 2024, the rating certifies approximately 485,000 gt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 130-km driving distance from the center point (Pembroke, ON).
A ‘AA’ rating is a high investment grade, signalling an abundant, low-risk feedstock supply. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Renfrew County, ON’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
- At least 480,000 gmt/yr of pulpwood potentially accessible; 400,000 gmt/yr available at low risk
- Glut of pulpwood from past mill closures available for harvesting
- Distance advantage over competitors for sawmill chips
- Sustainably managed and certified forests
- Contracting logging capacity due to higher operational costs and aging workforce
- Potential risks from private forest pulpwood procurement
- Suppliers subject to same external risk exposure
Infrastructure & sites
- Location: Intersection of Trans-Canada Highway 17 and Highway 41
- Owner: Corporation of the City of Pembroke
- Zoning: Economic Enterprise Zone (M2)
- Total acreage: 130
- Occupied: ~60 acres
- Available: ~70 acres
- Cost: $12,000/acre
- Services: Sanitary sewer, gas, street lighting, storm drain (open ditch), water, hydro, cable, fire hydrants, paved street, Bell Fibre optic
- Location: Paul Martin Drive and Woodcrest Drive, off Highway 17
- Owner: Corporation of the City of Pembroke
- Zoning: General Industrial Zone (M1)
- Total acreage: 167
- Occupied: ~159.5 acres
- Available: ~7.5 acres
- Cost: $12,000/acre
- Services: Sanitary sewer, paved street, street lighting, storm drain (open ditch), gas, cable, water, hydro, fire hydrants, Bell Fibre optic
Local grants & incentives
- Accessibility Grant
- Affordable Housing Study Grant
- Brownfield Property Tax Assistance Program
- Downtown Heritage Façade Improvement Grant
- Downtown Housing Grant
- Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) Grant
- Façade Improvement Grant
- Planning and Building Permit Fee Grant
- Project Feasibility Study Rebate
- Tax Increment Equivalent Grant
Contacts
