TORONTO, July 20, 2018 /CNW/ - Enbridge Executive Vice President Cynthia Hansen congratulates Mayor John Tory on the joint project to construct the City's first renewable natural gas facility, located at the Dufferin Organics Processing Facility. Together, Enbridge Gas Distribution and the City of Toronto will build and install equipment that will turn the City's organic waste (apple cores, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc.) into clean energy.

Almost 50 per cent of household waste (by weight) is organic material. When organic waste breaks down, methane is created.  Many municipalities burn the methane produced from waste facilities and sewage treatment plants, throwing away this valuable energy resource and opportunity to lower their greenhouse gas emissions.

Instead, through this facility, the methane can be captured, cleaned and used like traditional natural gas. It is carbon neutral, and has the same environmental benefits as renewable electricity.

Expected to be complete in 2019, the project supports the City's vision of using Toronto's organic waste to offset greenhouse gas emissions.  As an added benefit, the newly created carbon-neutral, renewable natural gas will be injected into the natural gas distribution system to fuel the very trucks that picked up the Green Bin waste. 

FACTS

• Renewable natural gas (RNG) is a type of green gas. It is a carbon‐neutral, sustainable fuel that is created from decomposing organic waste.
• From a greenhouse gas emissions perspective, RNG demonstrates tremendous benefits. Methane that otherwise would have entered directly into the atmosphere is transformed into RNG. The Ontario Ministry of Energy (Fuels Technical Report) believes that RNG can replace up to 15 per cent of Ontario's conventional natural gas supply by 2035.
• Converting fleets, public transit, and heavy-duty vehicles from diesel to natural gas will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 15 per cent and save up to 40 per cent on fuel costs. Further, vehicles running on RNG are considered net neutral (with respect to emissions.)
• Ontario is ready: a survey commissioned by Enbridge reveals that 75% of customers would support the introduction of RNG into the natural gas system.*
• Enbridge and the City of Toronto estimate that more than 5 million cubic metres of RNG could be produced each year at this facility. That's enough to fuel 132 garbage trucks, 90% of the City's fleet (or heat more than 2,000 homes).

QUOTES

"We all agree that we must have cleaner or lower carbon energy options to heat our homes and move our vehicles. While traditional natural gas is the cleanest-burning conventional fuel,   RNG is the first step in 'greening' the natural gas system.   I commend Mayor Tory and the City of Toronto for their vision and commitment and we look forward to additional opportunities to partner with and support the City."
Cynthia Hansen, Executive Vice President, Utilities and Power Operations, Enbridge Inc.

"This project represents a path to low-carbon fuel for the City and will play an important role in helping us reach our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The City remains committed to its climate change action goals and to creating a more sustainable Toronto. By working with Enbridge we are able to move positive projects like this forward to the benefit of our residents and the environment." 
Mayor John Tory

About the City of Toronto
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.

About Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.
Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. has a 170-year history and is Canada's largest natural gas distribution company. It is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution, and has ranked as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations for the past nine years. Enbridge Gas Distribution distributes natural gas to over two million customers in Ontario.

For more information, visit enbridgegas.com.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @EnbridgeGas.

For more information contact:
Tanya Bruckmueller, Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.
416-753-6261
Toll free: 1-855-884-5112
enbridgegasmedia@enbridge.com

SOURCE Enbridge Gas Distribution