CHAR Technologies Ltd. has secured a CAD 10 million commitment from The BMI Group to advance engineering and design work for its planned Espanola biocarbon project in Northern Ontario, reinforcing momentum toward a large-scale redevelopment of the former pulp and paper mill site.
The project is slated for Bioveld North, the legacy industrial complex in Espanola recently acquired by BMI as part of a strategy to return the site to productive use through forestry-based and low-carbon industries. Once developed, the facility is expected to produce up to 50,000 tonnes of biocarbon annually, roughly five times the output of CHAR Tech’s existing Thorold Renewable Energy Facility.
The current engineering and design study, targeted for completion in Q1 2026, will define the project’s final scope, confirm biomass feedstock availability, and assess how CHAR Tech’s high-temperature pyrolysis (HTP) platform can be integrated into the site’s existing utilities, logistics, and material-handling infrastructure. Final capital allocation by BMI will be determined following completion of this phase.
Under the proposed configuration, locally sourced wood waste and forestry residuals would be converted into low-carbon biocarbon and synthetic gas, with the option to use the gas on site or upgrade it to renewable natural gas in a later phase. The combination of Northern Ontario’s abundant forestry residuals and existing industrial infrastructure is seen as enabling rapid redevelopment at scale.
BMI describes the Espanola redevelopment as a cornerstone project aimed at restoring the site’s role as a major industrial employer and clean-energy anchor in the region. For CHAR Tech, the project represents a step-change opportunity to scale its technology beyond pilot and early commercial deployments, while demonstrating how legacy pulp and paper assets can be repurposed to support the next generation of low-carbon forestry and bioeconomy investments.
CHAR Technologies Ltd. is a Canadian clean-technology company developing high-temperature pyrolysis systems that convert wood waste and organic residues into renewable energy and low-carbon biocarbon, a carbon-neutral alternative to metallurgical coal. Based in Canada, the company focuses on scalable solutions for decarbonizing industrial processes and advancing circular bioeconomy projects.
Source: CHAR Technologies
