ATIKOKAN GS - Ontario Power Generation

SUMMER 2009
IN THIS
ISSUE
OpG -
CHAMBER’S
AGM KEyNOTE
ATIKOKAN GS
AGS BACK IN
OpERATION
BIOMASS
UpDATE
AGS SAFETy
pERFORMANCE
ApplAUDED
pRESTIGIOUS
SAFETy
AWARDS
EMplOyEE pROFIlE:
NElSON BOUTIlIER
A proud part of the community since 1985
Neighbours
Neighbours Newsletter
BIOMASS FEATURED
AT RESEARCH &
INNOVATION WEEK
CHAMBER’S
AMBASSADOR
AWARD
OpG’S
SUppORTING
pERFORMANCE OUR
REVIEW
COMMUNITy
OpG SpONSORS
ATIKOKAN
VOyAGEURS
OPG’s Biomass Program Keynote
at Chamber’s Annual Meeting
Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Senior Vice President, Fossil, Frank Chiarotto, and Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown exchange
thanks at the recent Atikokan Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting and Business Awards event. Frank was the
keynote speaker and addressed a capacity crowd that was keenly interested in hearing about OPG’s biomass program.
Mike McKinnon (left), Chair of the Chamber of Commerce and Editor of the Atikokan Progress, served as master of ceremonies
for the evening. Joining them are OPG’s Atikokan Generating Station Manager, Ed Enge (centre) and Derrick Brooks, Plant
Manager, Northwest Fossil.

Back in Operation at Atikokan GS
It took just eight weeks to get
Atikokan GS back into coal-fuelled
operation after the explosion that
occurred on December 1, 2008,
while staff were preparing for an
all-biomass wood pellet test burn.
“Our station’s Emergency Response
Team, Atikokan Fire Rescue, and
the OPP, along with all other AGS
employees did an outstanding job
responding to the incident,” said
Station Manager, Ed Enge. He
added that getting the plant back in
service so quickly was the result of
a lot of hard work and team effort.
“The key was and continues to be
safety, both in completing repairs
and in operations,” he added.
Repairs to the building exterior will
be complete with the final work
on the roofing which is currently
underway.
Atikokan GS is OPG’s newest coal-fired station and employs 90 people. The station has played an important role in the
provincially funded Atikokan Bio-Energy Research Centre. At a recent workshop on biomass, Minister of Energy and
Infrastructure George Smitherman reinforced his priority of having the Atikokan GS fired on biomass.
2
Biomass Update
Biomass is readily dispatchable renewable
energy that can be produced at the existing
OPG coal-fuelled generating stations.
OPG hosted a biomass information day at its
Toronto offices in January. Mayor Dennis
Brown attended and received a round of
applause for his comments and commitment
to seeing the biomass initiative succeed for
Atikokan. The session drew a capacity crowd
and was the perfect setting to kick-start OPG’s
request for expressions of interest for the
supply of biomass fuel. Ontario Minister of
Natural Resources Donna Cansfield spoke
about creating a new industry based on the
province’s natural resources, while Energy
and Infrastructure Minister George
Smitherman applauded both MNR’s and
OPG’s efforts in developing renewable energy
sources and different uses for wood. Energy
from biomass has the potential to create a
made-in-Ontario industry.
Mike McKinnon, left, put his journalist skills to work with Frank Chiarotto
(right) who updated him with Derrick Brooks and Ed Enge (centre) on OPG’s
biomass program. The Government of Ontario supports the use of biomass.
Progress has been encouraging but a lot of work has to be done over the next few years before converting some of
OPG’s existing coal-fired stations to biomass including developing supply channels, means of safely handling and
storing biomass and making required plant modifications. OPG is working to make Atikokan the first plant to be
converted in 2012.

Safety Performance
at Atikokan GS
Applauded
On January 14, 2009, employees at Atikokan
GS marked four years with no lost time due
to injury. “These employees pay attention
to detail and take individual and collective
responsibility to make safety a priority in a
heavy industrial environment,” said Derrick
Brooks, Plant Manager, Northwest Fossil,
who praised staff for a remarkable dedication
to safe work practices. Station Manager
Ed Enge shared his pride with staff during a
celebration to honour the milestone. Ed is in
the photo at right with Joint Health & Safety
Committee co-chairs (left to right) Darcey
Bailey, Jeff Palmai and Lindsey Rogoza as
they prepare to cut the ceremonial cake.
Nelson Boutilier
Atikokan’s Nelson Boutilier, an Environmental, Chemical and
Safety Technician at the Atikokan GS, has become the “face”
for biomass throughout OPG with his photo appearing on
biomass materials including the biomass brochure, internal
and external publications, and in a series of biomass panels
pictured above and in the background of the photo at the
right. Nelson has been with OPG for 21 years.
Ambassador Award
OPG is the proud
sponsor of the
Atikokan Chamber
of Commerce’s
Ambassador
Award, which was
presented to Gord
Martin (centre)
of Tramin Ltd., a
mining and trades
suppy services
company. Gord is a
long-term mainstay
in the local Sno-
Ho Club and the Charleson Recreation Association. He’s also
a go-to guy whenever a little industrial strength expertise is
required. With Gord are Mike McKinnon (left) and Ed Enge.
Lakehead University Research
& Innovation
People from
throughout the region
had the opportunity
to explore the future
during Lakehead
University’s recent
Research & Innovation
Week. Jane Todd,
Program Manager for
our Northwest Fossil
(photo right), gave
a keynote address
on OPG’s biomass
program to a standingroom-only
crowd. She
shared the work on biomass testing to date at the Atikokan
Generating Station and the opportunities that could come
about as a result.
Jane manages the biomass test program at both Northwest
Fossil stations and answered the many questions from people
in the audience and the media.
Prestigious Safety Awards for OPG
In 2008, OPG was the recipient of two prestigious safety
awards from the Canadian Electricity Association and the
Electrical and Utilities Safety Association, recognizing the
company’s consistent safety performance and effective safety
management systems. OPG also achieved the best Accident
Severity Rate (the number of days lost due to injuries) since
its inception in 1999.
3

OPG’s Performance Review TWh = 1 billion KWh
2008 saw lower demand for electricity in Ontario due to a mild and
wet summer, a reduction in the use of air conditioners, and energy
conservation efforts. This, combined with record hydroelectric
production and strong nuclear performance, led to a drop of 18 per
cent in the amount of electricity produced from coal, the lowest
since 1996. OPG produced about 70 per cent of Ontario’s electricity
at an average price of 4.9 cents for each kilowatt hour sold.
Generation at Atikokan GS totalled just over 372 million kilowatt
hours for the year. OPG’s Fossil operations continued to perform
reliably throughout the year and provided on-demand electricity
as required especially during the summer months. In addition,
the biomass test program continued to move ahead. Looking
forward, the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal
will lead to further reductions in coal-fuelled generation.
You can read OPG’s 2008 Report on Performance by visiting our
website at www.opg.com.
OPG Sponsors Atikokan Voyageurs
Supporting our Community
Employees at the Atikokan GS contributed more than $17,000
to the annual Charity Trust Campaign. Staff held a number of
fundraising events including a toll gate, pancake breakfast,
Neighbours Newsletter
Cert no. SW-COC-1832
Design, Print, Distribution: OPG Office Services.
Atikokan Neighbours is published for the community
by Ontario Power Generation’s Atikokan Generating Station.
2008 Electricity Generation in Ontario
Nuclear 53%
Hydroelectric 24.1%
Coal 14.5%
Gas/Oil 6.9%
Wind 0.9%
Other Sources 0.6%
Source: Independent Electricity System Operator
OPG is a proud sponsor of a
number of hockey teams in
Atikokan including the Atikokan
Voyageurs Atom Team. This
17-member mixed boys and girls
team had 25 wins and no losses
for the season and attended four
tournaments placing first each time.
Dave Williams and Brad Sampson
(back left), and Mike Krasey (back
right) coach the team.
Back Row: Scott Williams, Cole Mattson,
Grant Legaree, Ethan Slater, Evan
Krasey, John King, Cameron Ivall;
2nd Row: Chelsey Paquette, Cameron
Dunnet, Cole Sampson, Eric Williams,
Stephanie Cornell; Front Row: Cole
Krassey, Aiden Laboisseur, Shawnte
Anderson, Andrew Squires, Fayth
Chambers.
50/50 draw, BBQ, free throws, t-shirt sales, Halloween bake
sale and a pizza windup. This campaign provided support to:
Atikokan General Hospital, Atikokan High School Endowment
Fund, Canadian Cancer Society, Kiwanis Easter Seal Fund,
Atikokan Special Olympics and more.
Telephone: (807) 597-1110
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1900, Highway #622
Atikokan, ON P0T 1C0
www.opg.com