Pacific BioEnergy and GDF SUEZ have formed a joint venture to own and operate the wood pellet plant.

In addition to its minority interest in the joint venture, GDF SUEZ has also agreed to purchase 2.5 million tonnes of wood pellets for its electrical generating facilities in Belgium over the next decade.

The expansion project, expected to be complete in the autumn of 2010, will see annual wood pellet production double to 350,000 tonnes.

The expanded wood pellet plant will also utilize more mountain pine beetle killed wood and other waste wood from the forests surrounding Prince George.