Edmonton, a city in Alberta, Canada, has recently finalized an agreement with Norwegian company Varme Energy to build a state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plant.
According to a report from CTV News, a 15-year agreement has been reached for the processing of approximately 150,000 tons of residential waste annually. The waste will be handled at a facility located northeast of Edmonton, which is expected to be operational by 2027.
“This alternative is projected to have a significant impact on reducing landfill use, regional greenhouse gas emissions, and the carbon footprint of our operations,” stated Denis Jubinville, an Edmonton official, in an interview with CTV News.
According to Varme Energy Canada’s CEO Sean Collins, the practice of burning garbage in a more environmentally-friendly manner has gained popularity in Europe. Collins explains that this method is considered better for the environment compared to simply disposing of waste in landfills.
“We are displacing the methane at the landfill and capturing our emissions for sequestration, making the energy we produce carbon negative,” he explains. “The projects’ environmental benefits are a great source of motivation for us.”
The precise whereabouts of the facility have not been disclosed to the public at this time, and the project is still pending various government approvals.
A $300-million facility is currently under construction, with expectations of generating approximately 250 full-time construction jobs and 25 permanent positions. According to Collins, the city has decided to hire Varme to dispose of the waste, as he believes this option will be more cost-effective compared to landfill disposal.
According to Collins interview with CTV News, the upcoming Edmonton facility will be the pioneering establishment of its kind in Alberta. However, Varme has expressed their intentions to construct four or five additional plants in the vicinity in the coming years.
