FRA Welcomes Investment in New Alberta Forestry Product

Forestry Research Associates welcomes the Canadian government initiative to invest in an innovative material made from a range of forestry products in the Alberta region of the country.

Seattle, USA, July 08, 2011 -- The Canadian government is investing generously in the production of an exciting new green material that is made from a range of forestry products in the Alberta region of the country.

Forestry Research Associates (FRA), a research and advisory consultancy, supports the move to pilot a scheme to explore the potential applications of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). The product is made from wood and straw pulp, which will be processed at a CA$5.5 million plant in Alberta. The plant is being funded by both the federal and provincial government under the Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA).

The plant will produce and test some 100 kgs of the material each week. The product can be tested for uses within the automobile industry, plastics, paints and building materials, energy extraction and healthcare. “This new product is extremely exciting, not least for the potential it could bring for jobs and opportunities in Alberta,” explained Peter Collins, an analyst at FRA. “If the material proves to be useful and more needs to be produced, greater investment in Alberta forestry is likely to follow,” he added.

Greg Weadick, the Minister of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology also has high hopes for the new material. “This has the potential to be one of the technologies that, literally, changes the world,” he stated.

His enthusiasm also transferred to what the discovery could do for the forestry industry in Canada in general. His positivity was echoed by Mike Lake, the Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont. He stated, “Our Government’s investment will help advance a new forestry product with the potential to diversify the industry.

“With numerous sectors in Alberta that could benefit from NCC applications, this initiative will help increase our competitiveness and create jobs in our communities.”

FRA welcomed the news that a new, strong and environmentally sound product had been discovered as a by-product of the forestry industry. The organization hopes that the pilot scheme will discover a great many uses for the material, which could help to further diversify forestry investors’ portfolios.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Tel: (206) 316 8394
E-Mail: info@forestry-research.com
Web: http://www.forestry-research.com

This release was published on openPR.