In September, Power Wood Corporation, an Agassiz, B.C.-based manufacturer of specialty wood products, was awarded $3.4 million from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF) to build a new thermal modification facility. The project is expected to create 10 full-time jobs and support a partnership with the Squiala First Nation, providing prioritized employment opportunities for Indigenous workers, according to a report in Canadian Forest Industries..

“This partnership with the Squiala First Nation and support from the BCMJF and federal programs has been a game-changer,” said Jake Power, president of Power Wood Corporation. “Our new facility will benefit not just our team and the local communities but also the broader B.C. forest industry.”

Using only heat and steam – with no added chemicals during the process – is a green alternative solution, the company said. Thermally modified wood products are defined as woods that have been dried at high temperatures to reduce average moisture content to near zero.

The input wood products are typically kiln dried using a conventional lumber kiln drying process. The kiln dried wood is then stacked inside a thermal modification chamber and heated above 210 degrees celsius in a controlled pressure and humidity environment.

The controlled atmosphere removes nearly all moisture from the wood and the wood’s chemical structure changes while removing many of the natural sugars and organic compounds that are normally present in the wood. It changes from hydroscopic – meaning it absorbs water – to hydrophobic – meaning it repels water.

At the PowerWood Facility in Agassiz, BC we have an extensive wood supply and plant capacity. This allows us to seamlessly fulfill orders across a comprehensive spectrum of vertical grain thermally modified wood and mixed grain thermally modified wood, encompassing both western hemlock and douglas fir as well as ash or ayous. With a range of clear grades available, we can produce custom patterns and job lot tallies for all of your architectural ThermoWood needs.