Power and Pet-Coke: The Synfuel Controversy

Documentary (2005), 52 min., DV

“Power and Pet-Coke” examines the controversy surrounding a series of petroleum-coke gasification power-plants proposed for Thunder Bay and communities across Northwestern Ontario.

A committed group of citizens organizes with members of the Fort William First Nation to oppose this experimental technology that involves importing 6 million tonnes of Petroleum Coke waste from the Alberta tar sands. They demand the plant be subjected to an otherwise routine environmental assessment. Meanwhile, some community leaders andSynFuel, the US-run company proposing the for-profit plant, argue that plant is environmentally sound and that the cheap energy is crucial to the region’s survival.

Update: Jan 2007 Due to a lack of investment, trouble with land deals and the high cost of making the project environmentally sound, SynFuel has abandoned all plans to build 12 Pet-Coke fired gasification plants in NWO. This includes plants in mills in Thunder Bay and Red Rock, Ontario. Regrettably, paper mills across the north continue to close due to high operating costs interfering with corporate profitability. No suitable means of new power generation has emerged although testing on Biomass and Wind Power solutions are making progrss.

This film was co-directed by Dave Clement and Kate Kroll and was made in association with Confederation College Film Production.