SEOUL, KOREA- During the second Jobs and Trade Mission, Premier Christy Clark began her first full day in Korea promoting clean energy resources like British Columbia's biomass sector and highlighted Canada Wood Group's project that will see B.C. lumber in more than 200 Korean homes.

"It's imperative that we look at new ways of doing things that will be sustainable for the future," said Premier Clark. "Through the development and marketing of clean energy alternatives in Korea, our government is creating new markets and new jobs back home in British Columbia."

The first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between University of British Columbia (UBC) and Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) will boost joint research and development projects on fuels and chemicals sourced from biomass. Korea's Renewable Portfolio Standard came into effect in January 2012 and requires a renewable electricity quota of two per cent total generation, growing to 10 per cent by 2022, much of which could be supplied by B.C.'s bioenergy industry.

Premier Clark also witnessed a formal agreement between RCI Capital/Sustainable Development Technology Canada and T-Stone Capital Fund on $300-million worth of matching funding for investment in Canadian clean-technology portfolio companies, of which over 30 per cent of the portfolios are B.C. companies.

The second MOU between Canada Wood Group and Best House Korea is for design and construction of 200 to 250 wood frame houses to be built at Masung Wood Framed Home Community Development Project using approximately five million board feet of Canadian dimension lumber and 87,500 sheets of oriented strand board (OSB). It is expected that up to $5 million in B.C. lumber will be purchased for the project.

"B.C. wood products are affordable and allow for exceptional building designs, but they also have tremendous climate friendly attributes - every tonne of wood material used in construction prevents about 5.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere," said Premier Clark.

Premier Clark also visited Gyeonggi, British Columbia's sister province in Korea where Governor Kim Moon-Soo recognized the Premier as an honorary citizen. The Governor also officially declared May 17th as B.C. Day in the province of Gyeonggi.

"It is a great honour to celebrate the first B.C. Day with our friends in Gyeonggi province and I cherish my honorary Gyeonggi citizenship. It is a symbol of our strong cultural ties and our commitment to deepen our historic relationship," said Premier Clark. While in Gyeonggi province, the Premier toured the Hwaseong Fortress - a UNESCO-designated World Heritage site.

Additionally, Premier Clark and B.C. green building delegates had the opportunity to meet with the Korean Organizing Committee for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games to discuss using B.C. cross-laminated timber design in sports facilities.

To promote British Columbia's world-class education system, including kindergarten to grade 12 and post-secondary, Premier Clark addressed 250 students at Suwon Academy of World Languages. In 2010, Korea was the top source of international students in British Columbia.

Contact:

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation
250 356-7104

A backgrounder follows.

BACKGROUNDER

Trade Mission Key Announcements for Thursday, May 17

• Canada Wood Group and Best House Korea signed an MOU for the sharing of information on the design and construction of wood-frame houses to be built at Masung Wood Framed Home Community Development Project. It is expected that up to $5 million in B.C. lumber will be purchased for the project.

• UBC and KIST signed an MOU on the implementation of joint research in clean technology and the establishment of a KIST Research Laboratory at UBC.

• RCI Capital/Sustainable Development Technology Canada and TStone Corporation agreed on $300-million worth of matching funding for investment in Canadian clean technology portfolio companies, of which over 30 per cent of the portfolios are B.C. companies.

• British Columbia based Deltalok Group agreed to supply Acciona Energy Korea with the design and construction of permanent structures for the Wind Power Complex in Young Yang County, GyeongBuk Province. The agreement is for 70 units and is valued at $10 million.

• Durae Corporation and Ironwood Clay Company announced an MOU to establish partnership, collaboration and economic development opportunities. Ironwood is a supplier of Marine Mineral Elements water to AmorePacific, the largest cosmetics manufacturer in Korea, through Durae Corporation.

• Hanjin Shipping and Prince Rupert Port Authority celebrated the company's one-year anniversary of shipping to Prince Rupert.

Key Facts - B.C. Bioenergy Sector

Quick Stats

• B.C. leads the country in biomass energy production. Nine biomass clean energy projects sell 2,121 gigawatt hours per year of electricity to BC Hydro, enough to power 194,000 B.C. homes.

• The B.C. wood-pellet industry was worth $1.2 million in 2011, growing to $2 million in 2012, with further expansion expected for 2013.

Provincial support:

• $25 million for the B.C. Bioenergy Network, to encourage investment and innovation in bioenergy projects and technologies.

• Three of the successful proponents under BC Hydro's phase 1 call for bioenergy power currently sell BC Hydro 653 gigawatt hours, or enough electricity to power nearly 60,000 homes.

• Four successful projects under BC Hydro's phase 2 call for bionergy power, with potential to generate 754 gigawatt hours, or enough to power 70,000 homes.

• BC Hydro also has an Integrated Power Offer, and purchases electricity from customers with their own generation capacity, including some pulp mills with biomass capacity.

• B.C. companies interested in the Korean market include: Pinnacle, Pacific Bioenergy, Premium, Tatsha Pellets, Highland Pellets, Visidis Energy, Bio Secure Power, Princeton Co-Gen, Conifex and Lignol. Pinnacle and Pacific Bioenergy are currently selling wood pellets in Korea.

B.C. and Korea

• Korea's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) came into effect in January 2012. It requires a renewable electricity quota of two per cent total generation, growing to 10 per cent by 2022.

• Under RPS policy, Korea's demand for renewable fossil fuels and fossil fuel replacement is growing considerably.

• Korea is B.C.'s fourth-largest trading partner and third-largest goods export market to Asia, accounting for $1.9 billion of B.C.'s commodity exports in 2010.

• KIST received $6 million from Korea's Ministry of Knowledge and Economy to invest in biofuel and torrefaction pilot projects in B.C.

Stay up to Date with the Trade Mission

Media can download raw footage, photos, audio on www.sendtonews.com when it is available.

To view and download photos from the Asia Trade Mission visit: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjz4PFfy

Follow the Asia Trade Mission at: http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/Connect/PremiersMission2012/Pages/PremiersMission.aspx

Contact:

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation
250 356-7104