Waste-to-energy: Edmonton signs deal to have garbage burned for power at new $300M facility
The City of Edmonton has reached a deal with the local arm of a Norwegian company to have garbage from Edmonton households burned to create electricity.
The city announced the agreement with Varme Energy in a press release on Wednesday afternoon.
The 15-year deal will see roughly 150,000 tonnes of residential waste processed every year at a facility northeast of Edmonton once it is built and opened in 2027.
"This alternative is expected to limit landfill use, lower regional greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the carbon impact of our operations," said Denis Jubinville from the City of Edmonton.
In an interview with CTV News Edmonton, Varme Energy Canada's CEO said burning garbage this way is better for the environment than shoving it in a landfill and has become popular in Europe for that reason.
"We are displacing the methane at the landfill and capturing our emissions for sequestration, making the energy we produce carbon negative," Sean Collins said.
"We get very motivated by the benefit to the environment of these projects."
The exact location is not yet public but the company's website lists a future project in Alberta's Industrial Heartland near Fort Saskatchewan.
The facility still requires several government approvals, but Collins is promising his plant will be a good neighbour.
"There's no smell that escapes the facility, based on intelligent design to ensure that there's no air transfer from inside the facility to outside," he said, adding that the footprint of the plant will be much smaller than renewable energy projects.
"In Copenhagen, their waste-to-energy facility is called Copenhill. They built an integrated ski hill on top of the waste-to-energy facility…you can literally ski down the exhaust stack."
Construction of the $300-million facility is expected to create about 250 full-time construction jobs and 25 permanent ones.
Collins said the city will pay Varme to get rid of the waste, which he believes will be at a lower overall cost than putting it in landfills.
The Edmonton-area facility will be the first of its kind in Alberta, Collins said, but Varme would like to build four or five more plants in the area in the future.
The City of Edmonton will continue to sort and process compostable and recyclable at its waste management centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.