Municipality of Saint-Ubalde - District Heating and Wood Pellet Plant
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Capital Project
Sector
Energy
Project value$1,139,600
Project Type
Capital Project
Sub Sector
District Energy – Biomass
Grant amount$116,833
Program type
GMF
Municipality
Municipalité de Saint-Ubalde, QC
Loan amount$584,167
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
1,456
Project timeline
2013 - 2016
Project number
12057
Description
The Municipality of Saint-Ubalde in the Portneuf region, with a population of 1,500 people, will build a district heating system fired by waste biomass from the forest industry for eight of its municipal and institutional buildings, including the town hall, municipal library and elementary school, to reduce heating-related costs, particulate emissions and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The project will replace 95.1% of the energy consumed annually for heating in the form of fossil fuels and electricity from the grid, which represents 3,800 GJ per year, and will avoid the production of approximately 218 tonnes of CO2e of GHGs per year. In addition, the project will reduce heating costs in all the buildings by nearly 40%, support recycling of potentially harmful waste and create local jobs. In parallel with this project, the municipality plans to set up a small wood pellet plant to convert wood waste from the Saint-Ubalde sawmill into pellets to supply the new boiler. The municipality is planning two subsequent phases to connect industrial and commercial buildings and homes to the district energy system. This initiative will showcase the economic and financial viability of the project, which could be replicated by other small municipalities throughout the country. The municipality will also implement a performance monitoring and assessment plan during the construction, commissioning and operation of the system and this information can be shared with other communities that are considering their own district heating projects. (Project description from original funding application)
Project results
- 131 tonnes of GHG emissions avoided
- 3132 GJ of energy savings per year
- 179 tonnes of waste diverted per year
Environmental outcomes
- Reduced or avoided GHG emissions
Social outcomes
- Greater civic pride and ownership
- Improved public education or awareness
Economic outcomes
- Reduced maintenance costs
- Increased tourism
- Use of feasibility tools
Lessons learned
- Stakeholder and community engagement
- Council support/buy-in
- Communication & coordination
- Resources
- External factors
Applicant
Bio Energie Forestiere, QC