Surrey Biofuel Processing Facility Project

operational

Opportunity The Metro Vancouver Area’s Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan is working towards increasing the regional waste diversion rate from an average of 55 per cent towards an aspirational target of 80 per cent by 2020. In line with these goals, the City of Surrey is in the process of implementing a Rethink Waste Program. Launched in 2012, the program began collecting organics with a fleet of waste collection trucks that run on compressed natural gas, leading to a 43 per cent reduction in garbage being sent to the landfill. Phase two of the program involves the construction of an organic waste biofuel processing facility which will generate renewable natural gas (RNG) that can be used to fuel the waste collection trucks. In September 2012 the Government of Canada announced that its support for the project with a P3 Canada Fund contribution of up to $16.9 million. Innovations The project will create the first closed-loop, fully integrated, organics waste management system in North America. The facility will have a state of the art odour mitigation system in place, significantly reducing the risk of odours impacting neighbouring communities. Results Once established, the biofuel facility will process the City’s organic waste into a 100 per cent RNG that can be used to fuel the City’s natural gas powered waste collection vehicles thereby reducing the City’s carbon footprint. The facility will reduce CO2 emissions in Surrey by 40,000 tonnes per year—equivalent to taking 8,500 cars per year off the road. The facility will be capable of processing upwards of 115,000 tonnes of organic waste per year, the majority of which will come from Surrey’s residential curbside collection program. The facility will also produce a high end compost product that can be used in agriculture and landscaping applications.  “The Surrey organics biofuels processing facility, will deliver a long-term, modern approach to solid waste management that is environmentally responsible and safe for all surrounding communities. Canada needs to invest in modern and green infrastructure projects like these to be a world leader today and in the future, and public-private partnerships can help deliver these projects on-time and on-budget.” - John McBride, CEO, PPP Canada

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