Feasibility Study for the development of a Green Thermal Utility (GTU) District Heating/Cooling Loop

The City of Saint John plans to study the feasibility of developing a green thermal utility (GTU) – a district heating and cooling system that uses renewable resources. The proposed system would use water from Saint John Harbour for cooling. It may also recover heat from sewage treatment plants and from building heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The study will examine other heat recovery opportunities such as the waste heat from the Irving Pulp and Paper in Saint John. This alternative renewable energy is considered a substantial source of energy for the proposed GTU. The study will also look at the practicality of storing energy (heating and cooling) in underground thermal energy storage (UTES). The proposed system would serve new and existing downtown Saint John developments. The project team will review and evaluate 2008-2010 civil infrastructure plans and regulations to learn more about how new and existing buildings could be integrated into the proposed system. The team will also identify the codes, regulations and standards that are relevant to the construction of the new system. The team will review and analyze previous energy studies and other related research and make recommendations for the system’s infrastructure and location. After preparing initial cost estimates and budgets, the team will assess the financial feasibility of the project and analyze different governance models, including public-private partnerships. The study will provide detailed information to help the City decide whether to proceed with the proposed project and its components. The Saint John's Municipal Energy Efficiency Program aims to consistently improve air quality by reducing GHG emissions and municipal operations energy consumption by 25 per cent by 2011. The study expects to show that the proposed capital projects will lead to a GHG emission reduction of 3,006 tonnes, resulting in a 17 per cent decrease from the baseline emission amount.

(Project description from original funding application)