Canada’s FortisBC in RNG from Wastewater Project
BC natural gas utility FortisBC is poised to begin drawing renewable natural gas (RNG) later this month from the first facility in the province designed to produce the renewable fuel from municipal wastewater, it said March 15.
And it will work with Metro Vancouver to achieve regional climate-action goals, a lynchpin of which will be the Lulu Island Renewable Natural Gas Facility (shown in banner photo, courtesy Metro Vancouver) at the city’s Lulu Island wastewater treatment plant in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond.
Biogas is generated as a by-product of the wastewater treatment process, and some biogas from the wastewater treatment plant has been used as a fuel for indoor heating and plant processes for many years. The new facility cleans biogas from the plant using a self-contained, water-based scrubbing technology that makes it pipeline ready for FortisBC’s natural gas system.
“Metro Vancouver and FortisBC both recognize the importance of partnerships and co-investment in the development of projects that support the region’s resilience and low-carbon future,” said Sav Dhaliwal, chair of the Metro Vancouver board of directors. “This facility will produce enough renewable natural gas to heat more than 600 homes, and we anticipate that production will increase as the region’s population grows.”
The Lulu Island facility, which will produce 60,000 GJ/yr of renewable gas, is the latest source for the utility as it works to increase the share of RNG in its system supply to 15% by 2030, part of its 30BY30 commitment to help its customers reduce their own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by the same year.
Metro Vancouver has its own Climate 2050 Strategy, which targets a 45% reduction in regional GHG emissions by 2030 and regional carbon neutrality by 2050.
As part of the wider climate-action collaboration, FortisBC and Metro Vancouver will work together to advance four major environmental initiatives: increased use of RNG, improved local air quality, reduced GHG emissions from transportation and improved energy efficiency of and RNG use by “high-performance buildings and industrial facilities.”
“Working directly with local governments allows us to help meet the energy needs of our customers in the communities we serve while harnessing the decarbonisation potential of our energy systems,” said Doug Slater, FortisBC’s vice-president, external and indigenous relations. “The document we’ve signed with Metro Vancouver sets the stage for us to demonstrate what we can do when we’re able to collaborate on emissions reduction, and we look forward to working with Metro Vancouver to meet our shared goals.”