London's main wastewater treatment plant is getting a new engine that will save the facility $600,000 annually on electricity, thanks in part to the federal gas tax fund.
The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) engine has long been on the city's wish list for the Greenway Wastewater Treatment Centre in west London. The state-of-the-art machine will take heat from the sewage waste that is processed at the plant and create electricity out of it that can be used to power the facility.
Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) engine. Image courtesy of the City of London.
London West MP Kate Young announced during a news conference outside of the plant on Friday that $4.5 million of the city's $46.6 million share of the federal gas tax fund will go toward the engine's purchase.
"We are funding projects that will benefit the residents of London for many years to come. These investments help stimulate growth and make our community more environmentally sustainable," said Young. "The ORC will generate over $600,000 per year in electricity savings at this plant. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, that is the equivalent of taking over 4,200 cars off the City of London's streets, which is really amazing."
The Trudeau government doubled the city's cut of the gas tax fund through a one-time municipal infrastructure top-up included in the 2019 federal budget. The allocation of some of those funds to the $11 million ORC engine is the first Londoners are learning about how the city will be spending the additional dollars.
"This truly is the gift that keeps on giving and it allows London to make another meaningful reduction in our collective carbon footprint and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the protection of our environment," Mayor Ed Holder said of the extra $23.3 million in funding being given to London through the gas tax fund.
"Federal gas tax funding will be used to support other critical infrastructure investments that will include transit, water, and climate change mitigation measures and we look forward to making additional announcements in the near future," added Holder.
Since 2015, London has been given more than $89.4 million through the federal gas tax fund, $27.6 million of which went to water and wastewater upgrades.
Installation of the ORC engine is expected to be completed by the end of August 2020.
