Ontario invests $2.2 million to unlock new forest biocoal markets

The Ontario government is investing $2.25 million through the Forest Biomass Programme to help CHAR Technologies commercialise biocoal, a rapidly emerging low-carbon fuel derived from forest mill by-products and underutilised wood.
This work will develop a new supply chain for made-in-Ontario forest products, create new revenue streams to drive growth in forestry and empower heavy industries to adopt sustainable fuels.
As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is making strategic investments to help forest sector businesses adapt, compete and grow to stay resilient in the face of US tariffs.
"Our government is protecting Ontario's forest sector workers and businesses by empowering innovative businesses to create new markets and revenue opportunities from forest biomass," said Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products.
"By investing in emerging technologies, we are building strong local supply chains to create stable, long-term opportunities for workers and communities, and driving the growth of made-in-Ontario forest products. We are ready to lead and establish Ontario as a global leader in biocoal."
This Forest Biomass Programme investment will help CHAR Technologies improve biocoal's storage and transport durability, needed for use in steelmaking at ArcelorMittal Dofasco.
The project will support six existing jobs, create four new jobs and build a more productive and diversified forest sector by putting up to 180,000 tonnes of forest biomass to use each year.
It will also establish a new supply chain with significant potential for future growth: collaboration between the forest sector and steel industry will demonstrate biocoal's potential to other heavy industries, supporting the development of a growing biofuel network.
"We thank the Ontario government for its support to accelerate CHAR Technologies' work in advancing biocarbon pellets as a made-in-Ontario, drop-in replacement for fossil carbon in steelmaking," said Andrew White, CEO of CHAR Technologies.
"This investment strengthens the market for forest biomass, supports jobs in the North, and positions us to increase supply to local partners and to begin exporting Ontario-made biocarbon to Europe, further strengthening the province's trade opportunities."