Zone-Éco and Waga Energy commission a renewable natural gas production unit in Cowansville, Quebec

Zone-Éco and Waga Energy commission a renewable natural gas production unit in Cowansville, Quebec

(Cowansville (Quebec, Canada), July 16, 2024) Zone-Éco and Waga Energy commissioned a renewable natural gas (RNG) production unit at a landfill site in Cowansville, Quebec (Canada). Each year, it will average an injection of 102,000 MMBtu of RNG, representing consumption for around 1,750 households in the province and avoiding the emission of 5,542 tons of CO2 equivalent per year into the atmosphere.

On July 3, 2024, Zone-Éco, a landfill, composting and recycling service provider, and Waga Energy, a global expert in the production of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from landfills, commissioned a RNG production unit at a landfill site in Cowansville (Quebec, Canada). Thanks to the WAGABOX® technology, developed and patented by Waga Energy, the biogas spontaneously emitted by landfilled waste at the site is upgraded in the form of RNG, a renewable substitute for fossil-based natural gas. The RNG is injected directly into the distribution network powered by Énergir, Quebec’s leading natural gas provider, to supply households and businesses.

Each year, the WAGABOX® unit at Cowansville will average an injection of 102,000 MMBtu of RNG, representing consumption for around 1,750 households in the Quebec province and avoiding the emission of 5,542 tons of CO2 equivalent per year into the atmosphere[1]. The unit will replace fossil fuels by providing local, renewable energy, particularly for industry and urban heating. To this end, the facility will contribute to the Quebec government’s target of injecting 10% RNG into the grid by 2030.

The initiative benefited from Quebec government subsidies totaling CA$12.4 million. A portion amounting to CA$6.9 million was allocated to Waga Energy Canada by Quebec's Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (MEIE), as part of the Renewable Natural Gas Production Support Program (PSPGNR) under the Plan for a Green Economy 2030. The remaining subsidy, totaling CA$5.5 million, was paid to Énergir for connecting the facility to its grid.

This is Waga Energy’s third RNG production facility commissioned in Quebec. These units provide installed capacity of nearly 660,000 MMBtu per year. A fourth Canadian facility is under construction in Hartland, British Columbia.

Zone-Éco is publicly managed by four towns located in the regional county of Brome-Missisquoi, namely Bedford, Cowansville, Dunham and Farnham. Each year, Cowansville’s landfill can process up to 75,000 tons of waste both from Brome-Missisquoi and neighboring counties. Until now the biogas from waste was burned in a flare to prevent direct methane emissions to the atmosphere. It is now upgraded by this WAGABOX® unit which further contributes to low-carbon gas in the local networks of Brome-Missisquoi County.

Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Greater Montreal Area: "RNG is an effective solution for reducing fossil fuel consumption. The partnership between Zone-Éco and Waga Energy Canada will enable us to develop expertise in a sector where we need to innovate to accelerate the production of this transitional energy." 

Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks and Minister responsible for the Laurentians region: "By converting waste from an engineered landfill site into renewable natural gas, Zone-Éco and Waga Energy Canada are helping us achieve our climate objectives. Local production of RNG is one of the solutions for ensuring a transition to a more resilient, low-carbon Quebec, and that's why our government is proud to support initiatives like this one." 

David Rumsby, General Manager, Zone-Éco: “We spent a number of years developing this project and thanks to our collective efforts, we are immensely proud of our progress and the impact it will have on Zone-Éco and residual waste management throughout Brome-Missisquoi.”

Julie Flynn, Chief Executive Officer of Waga Energy Canada: “We are thrilled to join forces with Zone-Éco, Énergir and the Quebecois government to successfully inject 10% RNG into Quebec’s gas grid by 2030 and help decarbonize the province. As a result, we can be proud of our efforts to accelerate Canada’s energy transition.”

Renault-François Lortie, Énergir Vice President, Customers and Gas Supply: “Society at large must change the way it consumes energy. Wherever possible, there is a collective need to prioritize renewables and proactively propel the transition to an increasingly carbon-efficient economy. On the strength of such initiatives led by our partners – Waga Energy and Zone-Éco – who draw on their vision and expertise, we are able to increase RNG volumes within our grid and expand our solutions designed for all customers looking to shrink their carbon footprint. Not only is this our grid’s 9th injection project, but it is also a tangible step toward decarbonization. Volumes generated by the Zone-Éco project will help us gradually achieve our target to inject 5% RNG out to 2025.”

About Zone-Éco

Before rebranding in 2023, Zone-Éco was known as ‘Régie intermunicipale de gestion des matières résiduelles de Brome-Missisquoi’ (RIGMRBM) – Brome-Missisquoi’s intercounty residual waste management ecocenter. Located in Cowansville (Quebec), Zone-Éco delivers modern landfill, composting and recycling services to four municipalities – namely Bedford, Cowansville, Dunham and Farnham.

Firmly committed to continuous improvement and innovation, Zone-Éco aspires to become one of Quebec’s leaders in residual waste management. The organization seeks to go the extra mile by championing mutual respect, collective excellence, team spirit and holding each other accountable.

https://zone-eco.ca

About WagaEnergy 

Waga Energy produces renewable natural gas at competitive prices by recovering gas from landfill sites using a patented purification technology called WAGABOX®. The renewable natural gas produced is injected directly into the gas distribution networks that supply homes and businesses, replacing fossil natural gas. Waga Energy finances, builds and operates its WAGABOX® units under long-term contracts with landfill operators for the supply of raw gas, and generates revenues by reselling the renewable natural gas or providing a purification service.

As of the date of this document, Waga Energy operates 27 units in France, Spain, Canada and the United States, representing an installed capacity of more than 1TWh/year. Each project undertaken by Waga Energy contributes to the fight against global warming and to the energy transition.

Waga Energy employs 230 people, including 30 in Canada and 30 in the USA. Its head office is located in France. Waga Energy Canada is based in Shawinigan, Quebec, and Waga Energy USA is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company generated sales of €33.3 million in 2023. It is listed on Euronext Paris (FR0012532810 - EPA: WAGA).

https://waga-energy.com/en-ca/

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[1] Estimates by Énergir, Quebec’s leading natural gas provider