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July 24, 2018

Enbridge and City of Toronto to build one of the first renewable natural gas facilities in Ontario

Enbridge Executive Vice President Cynthia Hansen congratulates Mayor John Tory on the joint project to construct the City’s first renewable natural gas facility, located at the Dufferin Organics Processing Facility. Together, Enbridge Gas Distribution and the City of Toronto will build and install equipment that will turn the City’s organic waste (apple cores, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc.) into clean energy.

Almost 50 per cent of household waste (by weight) is organic material. When organic waste breaks down, methane is created. Many municipalities burn the methane produced from waste facilities and sewage treatment plants, throwing away this valuable energy resource and opportunity to lower their greenhouse gas emissions.

Instead, through this facility, the methane can be captured, cleaned and used like traditional natural gas. It is carbon neutral, and has the same environmental benefits as renewable electricity.

Expected to be completed in 2019, the project supports the City of Toronto’s vision of using organic waste to offset greenhouse gas emissions. As an added benefit, the newly created carbon-neutral, renewable natural gas will be injected into the natural gas distribution system to fuel the very trucks that picked up the Green Bin waste.

FACTS

  • Renewable natural gas (RNG) is a type of green gas. It is a carbon‐neutral, sustainable fuel that is created from decomposing organic waste.
  • From a greenhouse gas emissions perspective, RNG demonstrates tremendous benefits. Methane that otherwise would have entered directly into the atmosphere is transformed into RNG. The Ontario Ministry of Energy (Fuels Technical Report) believes that RNG can replace up to 15 per cent of Ontario’s conventional natural gas supply by 2035.
  • Converting fleets, public transit, and heavy-duty vehicles from diesel to natural gas will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 15 per cent and save up to 40 per cent on fuel costs. Further, vehicles running on RNG are considered net neutral (with respect to emissions.)
  • Ontario is ready: a survey commissioned by Enbridge reveals that 75% of customers would support the introduction of RNG into the natural gas system.*Enbridge and the City of Toronto estimates that more than 5 million cubic metres of RNG could be produced each year at this facility. That’s enough to fuel 132 garbage trucks, 90% of the City’s fleet (or heat more than 2,000 homes).

Read the Original Press Release