2002 Winner: Delta & Vancouver for Landfill Gas

The Municipal / Private Landfill Gas Utilization Project provides an example of developing a unique approach to local governance in order to achieve community goals such as clean air and healthy cities in an environment of fiscal restraint.

This twenty–year green energy project involves a partnership between two local governments, The Corporation of Delta, and the City of Vancouver; and two private organizations, CanAgro Produce Limited and Maxim Power Corp. The project consists of beneficially utilizing landfill gas (LFG) from the City of Vancouver’s Vancouver Landfill in a co-generation application, for the purpose of generating electricity and heat. The electricity will be sold to B.C Hydro as “green” power and the heat will be utilized in the form of hot water by a South Delta greenhouse.

The project’s substantial commitment in infrastructure is financed by the private sector, while both municipalities will receive environmental, social and economic benefits from the co-generation proposal. Maxim Power Corp (“Maxim”) will provide the $8.5 million financing required for the 2.5 -kilometer pipelines and co-generation plant. In return for providing the LFG, the City of Vancouver will receive approximately $250,000 to $300,000 annually, while Delta will receive between $80,000 and $110,000 in new tax revenue. CanAgro Produce Limited will receive a secure low cost heating source from the co-generation plant located on its property. B.C. Hydro will purchase all of the electricity under its Green Energy Program, introduced in April 2001.

In addition to the generation of revenue, the project will result in replacing non-renewable fossil fuels with methane from LFG to heat CanAgro’s greenhouse. This will reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by an estimated 30,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to taking the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority’s fleet of 1,100 diesel buses off the road for two months. Energy from the project is equivalent to providing the annual energy requirements to approximately 5,000 homes.