ONTARIO

Work ready to start on $70M landfill gas-mining project near Blenheim

Author of the article:

Ellwood Shreve

Published Jul 05, 2023  •  

Construction on a $70 million renewable natural gas facility at Ridge Landfill, announced last April, is beginning this month. Dignitaries seen in this file photo taken April 6, 2022, during the initial project announcement include, from left, Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff, Ontario Minister of Environment Parks and Conservation David Pcicini, Waste Connections Canada project manager of the renewable natural gas facility Cathy Smith and Enbridge vice-president of energy services, gas distribution and storage, Jim Redford. PHOTO Ellwood Shreve/Chatham Daily News jpg, CD, apsmc

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Construction will begin this month on a $70-million project to mine methane gas from decomposing trash at one of Ontario’s largest landfills near Blenheim.

The project at the Ridge Landfill by energy giant Enbridge will capture enough of the greenhouse gas to equal the emissions from nearly 24,000 passenger vehicles a year.

The first such Enbridge Gas project approved by the Ontario Energy Board, it’s a milestone in the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the region’s natural gas supplier said Wednesday.

Enbridge Gas is partnering with Waste Connections Canada, owner of the Ridge Landfill. The project is expected to result in a reduction of about 110,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

“Net zero is possible, and we continue to demonstrate this with today’s exciting news,” said Jim Redford, Enbridge’s vice-president of energy services, gas distribution and storage, said in a company release.

“Leveraging the existing gas system to deliver increasing levels of green fuel content, including renewable natural gas, is just one example of the steps we’re taking to support the transition to a low-carbon future,” he said.

Pending required permits, a facility to upgrade the landfill gas to low-carbon gas suitable for distribution in Enbridge’s natural gas network will be built by Waste Connections of Canada at the landfill, Enbridge said.

“Our commitment to sustainability, through significant investment in facilities like this, enables Waste Connections to provide consumers with a reliable source of renewable natural gas,” said company president Dan Pio, in the release.

“Waste Connections has ten of these facilities at our landfills, including one of the largest in North America,” he added.

The project will see Enbridge construct a new injection station and 5.7 kilometres of pipeline to allow gas to be safely sent from the landfill and into the natural gas system at an Enbridge compressor station on Communication Road.

Construction of the pipeline and related facilities is to begin this month, said Enbridge. Construction work at the landfill is slated to begin in August, with the project expected to be in service by the end of 2024.

An estimated 50 development and construction jobs, and several permanent operational jobs, are also expected.