CALGARY, AB, April 25, 2024 /CNW/ - The Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) and Carbon Alpha today announced plans to develop the North Star Project, a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) project near Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan.

North Star builds upon the existing MLTC Bioenergy Centre by adding carbon capture and storage (CCS). The bioenergy centre generates renewable power fuelled entirely by waste biomass, such as bark and sawdust, from MLTC's integrated sawmill and sustainably managed forestry operations. Forestry biomass consumes carbon dioxide (CO₂) over its lifetime. By capturing the biogenic CO₂ emissions from the MLTC Bioenergy Centre and injecting it deep underground, the project effectively removes CO₂ from the atmosphere safely and permanently, generating high-quality CDR credits.

"The Meadow Lake Tribal Council is on a journey to increase participation in the Saskatchewan economy for our 9 First Nations, including green energy infrastructure development, climate change mitigation, improving environmental outcomes and supporting our local forestry-based economy in the Meadow Lake area. The North Star Project represents added value to our existing facilities and focuses on the newest renewable prospects for our region, carbon dioxide removal. We, along with our partners Carbon Alpha, are completely aligned with the National and Provincial Growth Plans and this opportunity makes good sense. It enables the MLTC First Nations to create ongoing economic development, jobs, contracting opportunity and optimism for our people."

Tribal Chief Richard Ben
Meadow Lake Tribal Council

The project is expected to create up to 125 construction jobs and 12 permanent jobs once operational. The partners have secured pore space and commenced preliminary front-end engineering and expect to reach a final investment decision in mid-2025 with project start-up in mid-2027.

Once operational, North Star plans to generate about 70,000 CDR credits annually, which would be the largest CDR project in Canada. However, this represents a fraction of what is required to achieve carbon neutrality – the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made it clear that CDR is required to achieve net-zero CO₂ targets, and the National Academy of Sciences estimates that 10 billion tonnes of CDR per year will be required by 2050.

For more information about the North Star Project, please visit https://www.carbonalpha.com/northstar

Carbon Alpha, founded in 2021 in Calgary, is a leading team of fully integrated professionals dedicated to developing CDR projects in Canada. Carbon Alpha is committed to creating a sustainable world for future generations by generating high-quality, scalable carbon solutions.

MLTC was formed in 1981 and represents 9 First Nations located in Northwest Saskatchewan. MLTC invests in businesses to meaningfully participate in Saskatchewan's economy, supporting economic reconciliation in a rural and remote area of the province. 100% of the distributions flow to the 9 First Nations, to foster local economic growth; enhance on-reserve education; healthcare; youth and elder programs; housing; and other community social and infrastructure needs.

Contact: Patrick Elliott, [email protected]

SOURCE Carbon Alpha

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2024/25/c8794.html