In Canada, Zone-Éco, a provider of waste burial, composting, and waste recovery services in Brome-Missisquoi County, Quebec, and France-headed landfill gas (LFG) to biomethane technology provider Waga Energy SA have launched a biomethane production unit at the Cowansville landfill in Quebec.
Zone-Éco, a public organization in Brome-Missisquoi county, manages the Cowansville non-hazardous waste storage site, capable of processing up to 75,000 tonnes of waste annually from Brome-Missisquoi and neighboring counties.
We spent a number of years developing this project and thanks to our collective efforts, we are immensely proud of our progress and the impact it will have on Zone-Éco and residual waste management throughout Brome-Missisquoi, said David Rumsby, General Manager of Zone-Éco.
The project, supported by the Quebec government with CA$ 12.4 million under the 2030 Green Economy Plan, includes CA$ 6.9 million for Waga Energy Canada and CA$ 5.5 million for connection to the Énergir network, Quebec’s primary natural gas distributor.
Biomethane is an effective solution to reduce fossil fuel consumption. The partnership between Zone-Éco and Waga Energy Canada helps develop expertise in a sector where innovation is needed to accelerate the production of this transitional energy, said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy,
Convert LFG to RNG
Until recently, landfill gas (LFG) produced from waste was burned in a flare to prevent direct methane emissions into the atmosphere.
Using a WAGABOX unit, this LFG is now converted into biomethane aka renewable natural gas (RNG), thereby contributing to the supply of low-carbon gas to local networks.
By valorizing the waste outputs of a waste storage site into biomethane, Zone-Éco and Waga Energy Canada contribute to achieving our climate objectives. Local biomethane production is one of the solutions to ensure a transition to a more resilient and carbon-efficient Quebec, and that is why our government is proud to support initiatives like this, explained Benoit Charette, Quebec’s Minister of Environment, Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, and responsible for the Laurentides region.
The WAGABOX unit will produce up to 30 GWh of RNG annually. The RNG is injected directly into the distribution network powered by Énergir to supply households and businesses.
Society at large must change the way it consumes energy. Wherever possible, there is a collective need to prioritize renewables and proactively propel the transition to an increasingly carbon-efficient economy. On the strength of such initiatives led by our partners – Waga Energy and Zone-Éco – who draw on their vision and expertise, we are able to increase RNG volumes within our grid and expand our solutions designed for all customers looking to shrink their carbon footprint. Not only is this our grid’s 9th injection project, but it is also a tangible step toward decarbonization. Volumes generated by the Zone-Éco project will help us gradually achieve our target to inject 5 percent RNG out to 2025, said Renault-François Lortie, VP of Customers and Gas Supply at Énergir.
Third delivery in Canada
Commissioning of the Zone-Éco installation marks Waga Energy’s third RNG injection project in Canada, with an installed capacity of nearly 195 GWh annually. A fourth unit is under construction in Hartland, British Columbia (BC).
This collaboration is a step towards achieving the goal of 10 percent biomethane in Quebec’s gas network by 2030 and contributing to the province’s decarbonization, said Julie Flynn, CEO of Waga Energy Canada.
