The Town of Petawawa is converting food waste into clean energy with support from the Government of Canada
News release
March 1, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario
Canadians want cleaner air and cleaner water for their children and grandchildren. That’s why the Government of Canada’s strengthened climate plan is helping Canadians cut pollution in their communities, while saving on energy costs and creating good jobs across the country. Using cleaner fuels to power our vehicles and heat our homes is an important part of our plan to create a healthier future.
Today, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Neil R. Ellis, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced an investment of approximately $2.7 million from the Low Carbon Economy Fund to support a project that converts food waste into renewable energy in Petawawa, Ontario.
The Town of Petawawa will upgrade its digesters to divert food waste from landfills by turning it into clean energy. The Town is also contributing $2.7 million, and the total funding will increase the production of biogas and help process more organic waste to generate electricity and supply energy to the plant. Over the lifetime of this project, the Town will see a cumulative reduction of about 300,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions—equivalent to taking approximately 92,000 cars off the road for one year. It will also divert 280,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill over the next 10 years.
The federal funding for this project comes from the Champion stream of the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Challenge, which invests in projects that reduce carbon pollution, save money, and create good jobs.
Canada’s strengthened climate plan is reducing emissions and creating jobs across the country. A key part of the plan to create a cleaner and healthier future is investing in powering our communities with clean energy.
Quotes
“The Government of Canada is proud to support innovative projects that reduce emissions and create good jobs. This project will cut pollution equal to removing every car in Renfrew County from the road for one year. It’s a great example of the type of innovative leadership that municipalities across the country are taking to help Canada exceed its 2030 Paris Agreement target and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”
– Neil R. Ellis, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“The Town of Petawawa is committed to leading by example on climate change by transitioning the delivery of essential services in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions generated from our own biogas produced through wastewater operations. Upgrading anaerobic digester technology at the wastewater treatment plant from a traditional to resource-recovery process supports a clean economy focused on renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. This net-zero initiative promotes environmental sustainability through food waste diversion from landfills and the optimization of existing municipal facilities. Town Council acknowledges Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Low Carbon Economy Fund for providing the financial opportunity to build upon local assets, access advanced infrastructure solutions and, ultimately, to improve the quality of life in our “Dynamic by Nature” community.”
– Bob Sweet, Mayor, Town of Petawawa
Quick facts
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The Town of Petawawa project will divert 280,000 tonnes of food waste from landfills over 10 years, with the potential to continue to reduce emissions and divert waste in subsequent years. The food waste diversion will have a direct impact on the effective lifetime of existing landfills, diminishing the need for new landfill sites.
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The Low Carbon Economy Fund is supporting energy-efficiency projects in provinces and territories across Canada, which will help Canadians and businesses save money by lowering energy bills. Additionally, support is available for industries to put in place clean technologies that will help them be more efficient and innovative, creating jobs and savings across Canada.
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The Low Carbon Economy Fund is an important part of Canada’s climate action plan, helping put Canada on a path to meet and exceed the Paris Agreement target for 2030.
Associated links
Contacts
Moira Kelly
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-271-6218
moira.kelly@canada.ca
Media Relations
Environment and Climate Change Canada
819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
ec.media.ec@canada.ca
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Twitter page
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Facebook page
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