Biosolids management project to be built in Ontario

Synagro Technologies Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, has announced that the Harbour City Solutions consortium, of which it is the lead member and majority equity holder, has signed a contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a biosolids management project for the City of Hamilton, Ontario.

Other members of the Harbour City Solutions consortium include two Canadian companies: Bird Construction and the construction company Maple Reinders. Bird and Maple Reinders each have a 50 percent interest in the design, construction and capital works for the project.

Under the agreement, Synagro will be responsible for oversight, long-term operation and maintenance of the facility, as well as beneficial use of the product.

The plant will process up to 60,000 wet tons of biosolids per year over the 30-year term of the contract. The Andritz drum drying process will convert biosolids into pellets, which will be sold as slow release organic fertilizer or as a renewable fuel substitute to coal burning industrial facilities. This project will provide important benefits to the community and environment including reduced truck traffic, odor, noise and greenhouse gas production, as well as improved air quality.

The Hamilton project will be Synagro’s 10th heat drying facility, adding to its portfolio of experience with more than 20 large-scale biosolids processing facilities provided via the public-private partnership. The Hamilton project represents Synagro’s first foray into the Canadian biosolids P3 market and establishes the company as a prominent participant in this growing sector.

“Synagro is excited to be the City of Hamilton’s preferred partner to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a sustainable solution for its biosolids,” says Steve Cole, president and CEO of Synagro, “This project leverages Synagro’s unique capabilities to create value for the city and builds a long-term presence for Synagro in the important Canadian P3 biosolids and organics recycling market.”

“The company (Bird Construction) is very pleased to be selected as the preferred proponent to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Hamilton Biosolids Project. We are proud of our growing portfolio of environmental projects, particularly those procured under a public private partnership format,” says Ian Boyd, president and CEO of Bird.

“A major differentiator for Maple Reinders over its 50-year history is the large number of civil projects which we have delivered in an Alternate Project Delivery (APD) format,” says Reuben Scholtens, Maple Reinders’ director of Infrastructure Development. “The Hamilton Biosolids Management project represents Maple Reinders’ third environmental project to be delivered specifically in the public-private partnership format. As the first contractor to achieve this in Canada, we are recognized leaders in successfully designing, building and commissioning these kinds of highly complex projects.”

The Hamilton Biosolids Project is slated to commence in April of this year with completion targeted for spring of 2020.