Funding provided for project to recover waste heat in Quebec

SAINT-FELICIEN, QUE.—The governments of Canada and Quebec are providing over $2.8 million in joint funding for a project to recover waste heat from the forest biomass cogeneration plant in Saint-Félicien in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Que.

The project involves building a municipal pipeline system that will connect the plant to nearby municipal agrothermal and industrial thermal parks, states a release. The thermal pipeline system will also serve four industrial buildings and other facilities that will be built on land served by the system later on.

Through this initiative it is estimated the annual GHG reduction will be more than 13,500 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, which is equal to the removal of over 3,400 light-duty vehicles off the road.

The federal government is investing $1.55 million in the project through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program; the province is contributing $1.29 million through the Electrification and Climate Change Fund, from the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy; and the municipality of Saint-Félicien is providing over $1 million for the project.

“The recovery of waste heat is one of many measures that our government is focusing on in its Energy Transition, Innovation and Efficiency Master Plan,” said Jonatan Julien, Quebec minister of energy and natural resources, in a statement. “The project announced here will not only make it possible to reduce the need for fossil fuels, but it will also clearly contribute to the development of this sector, which is currently emerging in the province. When completed, all of Quebec will benefit. I salute the vision for the future that animates those responsible for this promising circular economy model for the province.”