Zone-Éco, a provider of waste burial, composting, and waste recovery services in the Brome-Missisquoi County, and Waga Energy have launched a biomethane production unit at the Cowansville landfill in Quebec, Canada.
This WAGABOX® unit will produce up to 30 GWh of biomethane per year, supplying renewable gas to 1,750 Canadian households and avoiding the emissions of over 5,500 tons of CO2 equivalent annually into the atmosphere (estimated by Énergir).
The project, supported by the Quebec government with CAD 12.4 million under the 2030 Green Economy Plan, includes CAD 6.9 million for Waga Energy Canada and CAD 5.5 million for connection to the Énergir network, Quebec’s primary natural gas distributor.
This marks Waga Energy’s third renewable gas injection project in Canada, with an installed capacity of nearly 195 GWh per year. A fourth unit is under construction in Hartland, British Columbia.
Zone-Éco, a public organization in Brome-Missisquoi county, manages the Cowansville non-hazardous waste storage site, capable of processing up to 75,000 tons of waste annually from Brome-Missisquoi and neighboring counties. Until recently, biogas produced from waste was burned in a flare to prevent direct methane emissions into the atmosphere. Thanks to the WAGABOX® unit, this biogas is now converted into biomethane, thereby contributing to the supply of low-carbon gas to local networks.
Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, emphasizes that “biomethane is an effective solution to reduce fossil fuel consumption. The partnership between Zone-Éco and Waga Energy Canada helps develop expertise in a sector where innovation is needed to accelerate the production of this transitional energy.“
Benoit Charette, Quebec’s Minister of Environment, Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, and responsible for the Laurentides region, explained that “by valorizing the waste outputs of a waste storage site into biomethane, Zone-Éco and Waga Energy Canada contribute to achieving our climate objectives. Local biomethane production is one of the solutions to ensure a transition to a more resilient and carbon-efficient Quebec, and that is why our government is proud to support initiatives like this.”
Julie Flynn, CEO of Waga Energy Canada, stated, “this collaboration is a step towards achieving the goal of 10% biomethane in Quebec’s gas network by 2030 and contributing to the province’s decarbonization.“