Pinnacle Pellet located just outside of Burns Lake are set to ramp up production over the next month.
According to Leroy Reitsma, Pinnacle Pellet's chief operating officer, the Burns Lake pellet plant is now in the commissioning stage, working towards final completion.
"We are in the process of training employees and we are making gains on daily performance," he said.
Plant officials are eagerly awaiting the completion of a rail siding that is currently holding back full production. Reitsma said the plant will be able to move to full production capabilities as soon as the work on the inner rail connection that connects the plant to CN's main line is completed.
While the plant is currently producing pellets and moving them through Babine Forest Products already existing rail siding, Reitsma said they are still limited in terms of shipping capacity and are looking forward to the completion of their own siding.
A number of local residents have also taken an interest in the new pellet plant, voicing concerns over plant emissions that can be seen from the highway.
Reitsma addressed local concerns regarding plant emissions, saying that what people are seeing from the highway is the evaporation of water.
He said the production process involves the drying of fibre, hammering and pelletizing and along with each step comes a certain amount of emissions which are permitted and regulated.
And that currently the plant is still in the start up phase however a scrubber system is set to be commissioned at the plant which is used to minimize the concentration of particulates release into the air.
"What people are seeing from the highway is not going to change, but the particulate level in the stream will be reduced down to a very low level," he said.
"The plant has been built using the best available technology and the concentration of emissions from the Burns Lake plant is similar to a plant that would be located in a heavily populated area," Reitsma added.
He went on to say that the Burns Lake plant is being held to a very high standard [for emissions] and is held to the same standard that is expected of the pellet plant in Prince George.
He said the Burns Lake plant now has a full compliment of 25 direct employees and management and currently there is a construction crew of approximately 25 people still working at the site.