CANFOR Chetwynd Combined Wood Ash Management

CANFOR Chetwynd operates a sawmill and pellet plant which processes wood to produce lumber products and wood pellets for retail distribution. The by-products of lumber and pellet production are combusted in heat kilns used to dry lumber and heat the plants. During this combustion process, wood ash is generated. Together the sawmill and pellet plant generate approximately 2,500 bulk tonnes of wood ash annually. Historically this material had been disposed of at a landfill. CANFOR was interested in diverting their wood ash to a beneficial use and approached SYLVIS to develop a combined wood ash management program.

SYLVIS established a beneficial use program for CANFOR Chetwynd’s combined wood ash. Wood ash can be used as an alternative to lime to adjust soil pH which helps to improve nutrient availability. SYLVIS assessed options and the associated costs for management of the combined ash. The most cost-effective option was for land application to occur to agricultural land in Alberta. In 2019, SYLVIS obtained an interprovincial authorization on CANFOR’s behalf to enable the application of wood ash to improve crop yields at a farm in Silver Valley, Alberta. SYLVIS provides qualified professional services for CANFOR including wood ash characterization, ash management coordination, and ensures that all activities are completed in compliance with Alberta’s Standards and Guidelines for the Use of Wood Ash as a Liming Material on Agricultural Soils and applicable authorizations.

The combined wood ash management program provides CANFOR Chetwynd with a lower-cost alternative to landfilling and makes use of the wood ash’s amendment value. The program provides flexibility in management for CANFOR and enables continuous removal of the material from the plant. Since 2019 the receiving landowner has amended over 400 hectares of land to neutralize pH and ultimately increase crop yield.