This week, the government of the Canadian province of Alberta announced intentions to invest $2.1 million (C$2.8 million) in a plant that will generate electricity from solid waste. The planned facility will also be equipped with a carbon capture mechanism.
The news was shared by Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz, who gave a speech at this year’s edition of the Carbon Capture Canada convention.
The earmarked funding will be used for an engineering and design study for a project by Varme Energy, planned for construction near Edmonton, Alberta.
Commenting on the investment decision, minister Schulz highlighted the region’s potential for developing carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies and its suitability for launching projects like this one.
“Varme Energy is tapping into our province’s exceptional geology, workforce, and expertise to advance a landfill elimination solution that will reduce emissions and continue Alberta’s reputation for delivering clean, secure energy to the world,” she said.
Dealing with landfills that currently account for 23% of Canada’s methane emissions and having less than 3% of municipal waste used for energy production, the province hopes that the new plant will help address this issue and set a new standard for producing energy from waste.
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The planned facility would generate electricity utilizing solid waste from municipal landfills. The CO2 that will be captured from its operations will be injected into one of Alberta’s carbon sequestration hubs.
By the end of 2024, the study for the project should be completed, with construction scheduled for 2025. The plant is expected to become operational in 2027, and it will have the capacity to capture and store about 185,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
The means for this investment come from the Emissions Reduction Alberta fund, which receives financial backing from the Government of Alberta through the Technology Innovation Emissions Reduction (TIER) Fund.
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