Cogent Provides Automation and Controls for State-of-the-Art Wood Pellet Shipping Terminal in BC

Cogent has successfully designed and deployed totally integrated automation and controls for Pinnacle Renewable Energy’s new $42 million wood pellet receiving, storage, and shipping facility in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The Westview Terminal is designed specifically to receive wood pellets transported by rail from production plants in the BC interior, and then store the pellets in storage silos to be loaded into bulk cargo vessels bound for international markets.

With planned increases in pellet production and sales to overseas markets, Pinnacle realized the need for improved access to facilities capable of receiving, storage and shipping large volumes of wood pellet products. In designing their new Westview Terminal, Pinnacle was focused on finding a solution that would maintain high product quality and prevent adverse environmental effects.

Leveraging its in-depth technical expertise and proven track record of executing successful bulk material terminal projects, Cogent was brought on the project to help design and integrate the entire facility. A key focus was on improving the efficiency of ship loading and unloading and maximizing the throughput of product being received and shipped.

In addition to automation and controls, Cogent also provided Westview Terminal with a reporting system leveraging process historians to reliably record and manage real-time production and downtime data. With this added reporting capability, Westview Terminal is now able to gain more operational visibility and make better decisions to improve the efficiency of the terminal.

Throughout the project, Cogent worked closely with the client and all contractors to understand the requirements and workflow of the terminal. Additionally, Cogent provided commissioning support and on-site operator training to help Pinnacle quickly transition into operation and achieve their goal of shipping at 1,500 to 2,000 tons per hour.

About Pinnacle Renewable Energy

Pinnacle Renewable Energy Group owns and operates six pellet plants across British Columbia with a production capacity of 1,050,000 tonnes of wood pellets annually, comprising 56% of Canada’s total pellet production. Its newest storage and shipping facility, Westview Terminal, is able to accommodate Panamax class vessels up to 75,000 deadweight tonnes with a loading rate of 2,000 tonnes per hour.