Aquatera / City of Grande Prairie Landfill Gas to Energy and District Heat Project
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Capital Project
Sector
Energy
Project value$8,433,200
Project Type
Capital Project
Sub Sector
District Energy – Waste energy recovery
Grant amount$500,000
Program type
GMF
Municipality
City of Grande Prairie, AB
Loan amount$5,000,000
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
64,141
Project timeline
2012 - 2015
Project number
13004
Description
Aquatera Utilities Inc. will partner with the City of Grande Prairie to build a district energy system fueled by methane gas captured from the city landfill and serving the city’s water and wastewater treatment plants. Aquatera will burn the methane and supplemental natural gas in a combined heat and power plant and will supply both electricity and recovered waste heat to the water and wastewater treatment plants, reducing overall energy consumption by an estimated 58.3% annually. The integrated project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 70,739 tonnes of CO2e annually, both by capturing methane that would otherwise be off-gassed from the landfill, and by substituting residual energy for electricity from the grid to fuel both plants. Aquatera will use a bioreactor (not part of the current funding application) to circulate leachate throughout the landfill, increasing the production of methane and extending the life of the landfill. Aquatera also plans to sell the carbon credits from the capture of methane from the landfill through Alberta’s voluntary offset program, which will contribute to the financial viability of the project. (Project description from original funding application)
Project results
- 26604 tonnes of GHG emissions avoided
- 22697 GJ of energy savings per year
Environmental outcomes
- Reduced energy use
- Reduced or avoided GHG emissions
- Improved waste management
Social outcomes
- Greater civic pride and ownership
- Improved public education or awareness
Economic outcomes
- Reduced maintenance costs
- New or improved revenue streams
- Innovative financing
- Increased tourism
Lessons learned
- Stakeholder and community engagement
- Resources
- External factors
Applicant
Aquatera Utilities Inc., AB