One of Canada's largest manufacturers of wood pellets is building its first plant in Alberta. The steel building is being supplied and installed by Kelowna's Metal Structure Concepts.
Online, October 25, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Metal Structure Concepts (MSC), a Kelowna-based construction company that specializes in pre-engineered and structural steel buildings, has just started what it is calling a flagship project for Canada's longest-running and largest manufacturer of wood pellets.
Owned and operated by Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc., the new steel building is being supplied and installed 100 kilometres west of Edmonton in Entwistle, AB. Once completed, the building will be the first wood pellet plant owned by Pinnacle to be built outside of British Columbia. It will also be the company's largest manufacturing plant to date. Once completed, the $85 million project is expected to add another 475,000 tonnes annually to the company's existing output and will employ approximately 70 local residents.
Preparation on the facility began May 1 with operations expected to start in early 2018.
The large pre-fabricated building is being built in four-to-five parts and includes interior columns to support cranes and other equipment.
"We are helping Pinnacle from the design to supplying and installing the building," said Steven Ivanitz, MSC owner and operator. "This is a large project for us with all hands on deck."
Pinnacle Renewable Energy's Entwistle project is one of a number of pre-engineered steel building projects MSC has conducted in the forest industry sector around Western Canada. The company has already installed sawmills in Burns Lake (Babine Forest Products) and Barriere, BC (Gilbert Smith Forest Products).
"With our proven track record, Pinnacle hired us to supply and install the Entwistle plant from start to finish," said Ivanitz. "We are becoming known for working with the forest industry. What's unique with these projects is our ability to be flexible to what their needs are. We also have an impeccable safety record and we take pride in completing our projects on time and on budget, without hidden charges or surprises."
Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. currently runs seven pellet plants in BC and produces 1.5 million tonnes of pellets annually, employing more than 250 people overall. The Richmond, BC-based company manufactures high-heat, low-ash wood pellet products from timber waste byproducts. Pinnacle makes a wide range of wood pellet products such as softwood pellet fuel, animal bedding and natural sorbent. Most of its production is for the bulk domestic and overseas markets.
The company's expansion into Alberta is a natural progression as demand for clean-burning fuel continues to grow.
"We've got a strong bench strength of talent, we had the team for building the plant, and as we learned more about the fibre basket, it all came together," Pinnacle CEO Rob McCurdy told Biomass Magazine in May, 2017. "We're quite happy to be in Alberta—it's a pretty natural growth for our company."
"MSC is looking forward to working on any future projects with Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. as the company continues its plans to expand around Western Canada," added Ivanitz.
Besides an increase in steel buildings serving the forestry industry, MSC has also seen an increase in the demand for pre-engineered buildings in other commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors. The company's recently completed projects include a leachate treatment plant for the Comox Valley Regional District on Vancouver Island, a mini storage and warehouse business in Nelson, BC, a crop seed operation in Fairview, AB, as well as a precast concrete plant in Lloydminster, SK.
About Metal Structure Concepts (MSC):
Since its inception in 2002, MSC has been designing and erecting pre-engineered steel buildings across Western Canada and beyond. By combining a talented team of in-house designers with highly trained field workers, MSC carries out installations to rigorous standards guaranteeing a professional product that looks, performs and lasts exactly as intended. MSC creates innovative steel building plans to suit any industry or application, including industrial, commercial, mini-storage, retail, agricultural, and community-multi-purpose.
For more information, contact
Steven Ivanitz
Owner, Metal Structure Concepts
1-877-840-4278
steve[at]mscsteel[dot]com
www.mscsteel.com
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