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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday July 13, 2007 - 3 Dump generates green power Region and Oakville Hydro burning methane gas to power 1,500 homes By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Think there's no money to be made out of a pile of rotting garbage? Think again. The Halton Region in partnership with Oakville Hydro Energy Services Inc. has made a major contribution to the growing trend of green energy through the rolling out of the new Landfill Gas Collection and Utilization Project. The project uses methane gas, which is produced by the rotting organic matter in a landfill, to create energy. The gas being produced by the Halton Waste Management Site is now sucked up through over three kilometers of piping, GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER installed by the Halton Region, to a gas utilization system con- GREEN POWER PARTNERS: From left, Halton Regional Councillor and Chair of the Waste Management Site Advisory Committee Barry Lee, Halton structed and operated by Oakville Planning and Public Works commissioner Peter Crockett , Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, Oakville Hydro President and CEO Alex Hydro. Bystrin and Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn toured the new renewable power generating plant at the region's waste management site Wednesday afternoon. Here they At the utilization site, the gas stand in front of the new facility. is burned and converted into elecation 24 hours a day and 365 days Waste Facility sparking great con- "The first benefit of this tricity, which is then transmitted "This is the equivalent of a year, it is considered a sound cern among the public over conto the public power grid. project is the gas we are removing about 15,000 cars investment. taminants produced by the comAdvocates of the project say it "The first benefit of this proj- bustion of garbage, the type of destroying because it is 21 currently generates as much as from our roads. Clearly this ect is the gas we are destroying welcome the Halton community times more potent in terms 2.1 megawatts of electricity, project is benefiting our because it is 21 times more potent will give the Landfill Gas of damage to the atmoswhich is enough to power approx- community and environment in terms of damage to the atmos- Collection and Utilization Project phere than carbon dioxide." imately 1,500 homes. The benefits now, but it will also benefit phere than carbon dioxide," said has yet to be seen. However to the environment that come them in the future as it Oakville Hydro President and Buitenhuis feels no concern is Alex Bystrin, from reducing a landfill's reduces gas emissions." CEO Alex Bystrin. warranted. methane emissions should not be Oakville Hydro President and CEO "The second benefit is the "We're not actually burning discounted either. Halton Regional Chair financial benefit. We've invested garbage. We're burning the "We are eliminating about Gary Carr money in this project and it is a methane that comes from the taking. 3,000 tonnes of methane gas profitable project for us, so the garbage," he said. GreenCarts for kitchen scraps emissions each year from our shareholder, which is the Town of "When you burn garbage you will also soon begin to work their landfill," said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr, during a ceremo- power was not right at that time," Oakville and through it the people know there can be a lot of con- way out to the residents of ny at the Rattlesnake Point Golf said Waste Operations Manager of Oakville, will benefit financial- taminants in garbage, but when Halton. ly. The third benefit is that when you have gas generated in a landBuitenhuis encourages everyClub on Wednesday celebrating Gerrit Buitenhuis. "Now, in the last two years, you this plant is running, what's hap- fill site, what you have in theory is one to participate in the the operational status of the syscan see in the newspapers, in the pening is the Province doesn't 49 per cent carbon dioxide, 49 per GreenCart program as even a tem. "This is the equivalent of general public, everyone is into have to use coal fire plants to pro- cent methane and maybe 1 or 2 high diversion rate will only removing about 15,000 cars from new energy, green energy. So, in duce the electricity this plant is per cent contaminants. By burn- reduce the amount of methane our roads. Clearly this project is the last two years the project just producing. So, you are displacing ing it (the gas) up there are virtu- creating organic waste in the coal production." ally no contaminants left and by landfill slightly. benefiting our community and snowballed really fast." With a proposed Energy From putting it in an engine like this we "We're not worried because This growing environmental environment now, but it will also even clean it more by taking all some organic things can never be benefit them in the future as it consciousness prompted the the moisture out and by taking diverted, things like wood. So Halton Region and Oakville "It took us this long to get reduces gas emissions." out all the hydrogen sulfide. It's methane levels may drop a little, The project, for which con- Hydro to shell out some big here because the market for probably cleaner than your car but not enough to make the projstruction began about a year ago, money for the project -- the cost green power was not right engine because the gas in your ect not worth while." had been on the drawing board of piping and the gas utilization at that time." car is more contaminated than This project is expected to consince 2001, but at that time the site reaching a combined total of what comes out of here." tinue converting methane into environmental climate needed to between $8-$9 million. Gerrit Buitenhuis, This project is only one of a energy for years after the Halton However, because the project Halton Region get started did not exist. number of environmental initia- Waste Management Site closes in "It took us this long to get here generates revenue of around $270 Waste Operations Manager tives the Halton Region is under- 2030. because the market for green an hour, and because it is in oper-