February 20, 2008

StormFisher Biogas proposes $10-million energy-from-waste facility

DRAYTON, ONT.

A community north of Kitchener is the proposed site of a $10-million energy-from-waste facility that would turn manure and organic scraps into pipeline-grade natural gas.

Toronto firm StormFisher Biogas plans to mix scraps trucked from commercial food processors with manure hauled from farms in the Drayton area.

About 100,000 tonnes a year, mostly manure, would decompose in tanks deprived of oxygen, called anaerobic digesters.

This would generate methane gas, which would be converted on-site into natural gas, then plugged into a Union Gas pipeline.

Leftover materials include a coffee-like substance that could be spread in fields as fertilizer, and a fibre that can be used as cow bedding.

The facility would sit on a hectare of vacant land owned by Norwell Dairy Systems, a dairy supply company just south of Drayton.

“There’s a huge supply of manure in Drayton,” said Ryan Little, a vice-president with StormFisher.

Construction could begin late this year and the waste facility could open next year, pending approvals.

“Our customers need this,” said Larry Wood, a Norwell vice-president. “Manure management is a huge, huge issue for them, and biogas is one alternative for them to consider.”

The technology is common in Europe, but so new to Ontario that the province is still determining the approvals it needs.

“This is how Europe has been processing these types of materials for 20 years,” Little said. “In North America, we haven’t been paying as much attention to renewable energy.”

Little said the facility will process organics that might otherwise go to landfills. Some proceeds will go to Ontario food banks. They are co-operating with StormFisher to find sources for organic waste.

StormFisher Biogas has secured $350 million in private funding to develop 30 waste projects in North America over five years.

Canadian Press

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