Council learned the logistics behind Chatham-Kent’s proposed waste to energy project.
At last week’s meeting, Chatham-Kent’s Chief Financial Officer Gord Quinton gave a presentation to council in advance of the go/no go decision on April 27.
The waste to energy anaerobic digester is a proposed partnership between Greenfield Global, the municipality of Chatham-Kent and the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The project has been in development since 2021, and will process industrial organic wastes that would otherwise be disposed of in a landfill and turn waste into renewable natural gas.
“Global demand for renewable natural gas has greatly increased over the last decade,” said Quinton.
“And that demand is not going away…In Canada as we look for greener, lower carbon solutions to our energy needs, renewable natural gas is high on the priorities.”
The plant would be located at 175 Bloomfield Road, replacing a parking lot north of the ethanol plant. Quinton told council that increased traffic won’t be an issue as most is transported through pipes, but the CFO anticipates five trucks per day, creating minimal impact on the community.
Quinton told council this new method would reduce the smell associated in relation to wastewater sludge handling which is the existing wastewater management process by being self contained and using filters.
The project also extends the life of the Greenfield Global Ethanol plant while benefiting the corn farming operations.
Currently the municipality and Greenfield Global have invested $8.5 million into the project between them, with the final cost being estimated at $160 million. Quinton explained $16 million will come from the municipality, $24 million from Greenfield Global, $60 million from upper-level funding and debt at $60 million.
Deloitte’s independent review of capital cost assumptions, operating costs assumptions and financial model outputs will be presented to council on April 27. And Quinton hopes to release any reports ahead of that council meeting for review.
“We still got a lot of work to do. We needed this go/no go decision by the end of April because of the upper level government’s requirements,” said Quinton.
“We can’t put this off any longer. The clean fuel fund particularly needs to know, they committed $45 million to this project they need to know this is going forward or else they can pull the funds and put it towards someone else’s project.”
If the project is a go, a proposed timeline has construction commencing in early spring 2027, with construction taking place over an estimated 18 months, and should be commissioned and operating by late 2028.
Residents are encouraged to visit the Let’s Talk CK website to provide input on the project.