Biomass District Energy Generation

The City of Quesnel wishes to evaluate the viability of constructing and operating a biomass-fuelled district heating system (DHS). In Quesnel, wood waste from industrial processes is currently either burned or landfilled. The City has identified this waste as a resource and wishes to investigate the viability of using it in a DHS that would provide heat and hot water to several buildings in the downtown core. Community-supplied wood waste or locally produced biomass would constitute the primary fuel source. If the project proceeds, a suitable emission control technology, such as an electrostatic precipitator, would be incorporated into the facility. The primary environmental benefit of a biomass-fuelled DHS is the displacement of non-renewable fossil fuels, which generate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The use of wood waste as fuel in the DHS diverts such waste from landfills, thereby reducing landfill volumes, and improving air quality, as open-air burning of the wood waste would no longer occur. The production of heat from a centralized facility also allows for improvements in energy conservation. An overall decrease in GHG and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions will result through the displacement of gas-fired building boilers. Annual reductions in GHG and NOx emissions are estimated to reach 3,000 metric tonnes and 2.5 metric tonnes, respectively.