The City of Guelph got a present from the province Friday that will help reduce greenhouse emissions and save money.
Guelph MPP Liz Sandals and city officials gathered at City Hall where it was announced the city is receiving $315,000 through the province's Climate Change Action Plan.
The money will be used to store methane gas that is produced at the city's sewage facility. That gas is then reused to create electricity to help power the facility, rather than it being burned off.
The facility already reuses methane gas, this new funding will help it store the gas so that it can be used during peak need and stored when excess gas is being produced.
"This project will have a significant impace on improving our environment and Guelph is to be congratulated for its ongoing efforts to combat climate change," Sandals said.
The technology is technically called a "digester gas storage capacity."
Sandals said it is part of a $100 million commitment by the province to battle climate change in 2017/2018, plus another $35 million in 2018/2019.
"What we have here is a significant environmental announcement for the City of Guelph," Mayor Cam Guthrie said. "This gas is a resource, a source of renewable energy .... we are replacing fossil fuel with a renewable energy source."
The mayor said the project will reduce natural gas use in the city by 30 per cent.
"During high production times we normally flare off that excess gas. During low production times we need to supplement that to help provide the power for the treatment plant. This funding is going to change that. It will enable us to store that excess gas during high production times and use it during low production times," Guthrie said.
