Incentive Benefits: Ferus Inc.

Ferus COO Chad Porter (l) and CEO Dick Brown built an energy-efficient new plant in Dawson Creek with a hand from Power Smart.

When liquid nitrogen manufacturer Ferus Inc. decided to build a multi-million dollar production plant in Dawson Creek, Power Smart lent a helping hand.

Ferus Inc.’s new production plant in Dawson Creek is yet more evidence that partnerships with Power Smart result in tangible mutual benefits.

Ferus manufactures liquid nitrogen for the oil and gas sector, and its business development associate Stewart Wilson says of the $20-million facility, “Because of the energy efficiency the plant has achieved due to our participation in the New Plant Design initiative, Power Smart has provided substantial capital incentives.”

Specifically, when both construction phases of the facility are completed next year it will save a total of 15 gigawatt hours annually compared to other designs. This was accomplished by simplifying the manufacturing of liquid nitrogen so that no other by-products would be created, therefore eliminating extra electrical expenditure. “That’s easier said than done, but it was core to our business model, and once we prove to Power Smart that the Dawson Creek plant has achieved the energy efficiencies identified, they will award the Project Incentive,” says Wilson.

The Ferus/Power Smart partnership began when the latter provided funding for an Energy Study that identified significant energy savings in the Dawson Creek facility’s design. Ferus implemented the options identified with the help of Power Smart’s Industrial Project Incentives.

Wilson summarizes the new plant thusly: “It’s good for BC Hydro and ratepayers because it uses less electricity than normal for liquid nitrogen production, and it’s good for us because it was a capital investment that made economic sense. I would highly recommend that other companies planning to build new facilities participate in Power Smart’s New Plant Design initiative.”