Enwave breaks ground on WTE facility in Canada

Enwave Energy Corp. has taken part in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI), that will replace an existing facility.

The Toronto-based energy systems provider is working with regional utility firm PEI Energy Systems on a new WTE plant the companies expect to be fully operational in 2028.

“The new, state-of-the-art facility will replace the existing end-of-life system and provide energy to its customers through the interconnected district energy network,” Enwave says, noting it also worked with the government of PEI to identify and develop this sustainable alternative to landfill while securing a reliable energy supply for the island.

PEI is in eastern Canada and is home to about 155,000 people.

Enwave is designing the plant to process nearly 90 percent of the province’s current total black cart or nonrecyclable residential municipal solid waste (MSW). When fully operational, the new facility is expected to divert up to 49,000 metric tons of MSW from landfills annually.

“The expansion of our facility in Prince Edward Island is a testament to the partnership established between Enwave and the provincial government,” Enwave CEO Carlyle Coutinho says. “The expansion of the facility in PEI demonstrates our unwavering commitment to providing long-term, sustainable solutions in collaboration with the province, uniquely positioning Enwave to develop future growth opportunities to meet rising waste challenges across the country.”

Factors including the plant’s contribution to reduced landfill methane emissions and its provision of an alternative heat source for nearby heating customers instead of furnace fuel oil is expected to amount to greenhouse gas (GHG) savings of up to 908,000 metric tons of CO²-equivalent by 2052. That is equivalent to taking approximately 278,000 gasoline powered cars off the road, according to Enwave.

The new facility will allow Enwave to almost double its existing waste processing capacity all while continuing to provide reliable thermal energy to more than 145 connected buildings in the province's capital of Charlottetown, the firm says.

Remarks , “Enwave’s new district heating facility in Prince Edward Island is solving two problems that our planet is facing at once: creating less landfill waste and providing affordable heat for communities," says Rob Thornton, president and CEO of the Westborough, Massachusetts-based International District Energy Association.

“PEI needs a diverse, reliable and forward-looking energy supply, and this expansion is a good step in the right direction,” PEI Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Gilles Arsenault adds. “Waste-to-energy technology helps us minimize energy costs for key provincial buildings while extending the life of our existing landfill.”

Enwave is one of the largest commercial owners and operators of community-based district energy systems in North America.

“The energy facility in Charlottetown will deliver reliable, renewable heat to more than 145 buildings,” says Ehren Cory, CEO of the Toronto-based Canada Infrastructure Bank. “Our collaboration with Enwave enables communities to address local energy needs using established technology and supports planning for future sustainable development."