Like the old adage says, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and Thursday (May 22) Greater Victoria’s garbage became the region’s treasure.
After nearly three years in development, the Capital Regional District (CRD) inaugurated a new renewable natural gas (RNG) plant at the Hartland Landfill. This facility is the first of its kind on Vancouver Island and was described as a step toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions on the south Island.
“This facility … is a major achievement as it becomes the Island's first supplier of renewable natural gas,” said Joe Mazza, one of FortisBC’s vice presidents. “RNG is a true local solution available right now with an Island-based facility, taking everyday waste and transforming it into a valuable energy source by capturing the methane from organic waste.”
The $32-million facility, operated by Waga Energy, is expected to produce up to 360,000 gigajoules of RNG annually. That’s enough to cut carbon emissions by nearly half a million tonnes over 25 years – the equivalent of taking 105,000 homes off the grid.
Using Waga Energy’s proprietary technology, the facility captures gas released from decomposing landfill waste and upgrades it into RNG, which is then injected into FortisBC’s existing gas system.
“This project, for me, is a clear demonstration of what a circular economy can look like; we are now capturing the full value of the landfill,” said Julie Flynn, director of Waga Energy Canada. “We will be able to heat homes, fuel vehicles, and reduce green gas emissions. It is local, it is sustainable, and it works.”
While FortisBC cannot direct RNG to specific customers, increasing its share in the overall supply helps reduce the system’s carbon footprint.
A tripartite agreement established that FortisBC will purchase the gas at a fixed rate, while Waga Energy will operate the facility for 25 years. The project is expected to be self-funded through revenues from biogas sales.
FortisBC will purchase the gas at a fixed rate, while Waga Energy will operate the facility for 25 years. The project is expected to be self-funded through revenues from biogas sales.
Hartland Landfill serves more than 460,000 people and accounts for about 10 per cent of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions.
CRD director Barbara Desjardins, chair of the solid waste advisory committee, played an instrumental role in getting this project off the ground. In her address, she said as the landfill receives nearly 180,000 tonnes of refuse every year, it needed to update the aging RNG infrastructure.
“We are thrilled to open this new renewable natural gas facility and the opportunity to fully utilize this valuable resource,” she said. “We need to think of waste as a resource, and that's exactly what we've done here today.”
