Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) has reached financial close on the world’s largest raw wastewater energy transfer project, located at Toronto Western Hospital, part of the University Health Network (UHN).
Construction activities began at Toronto Western Hospital earlier this month on the retrofit expected to lower greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs at healthcare facility.
Noventa Energy Partners (Noventa) worked with UHN and Enbridge Gas to develop the $42.9 million project which will provide approximately 90 per cent of the hospital’s heating and cooling requirements. The CIB says it will invest up to $19.3 million.
“We are proud to partner with UHN and private-sector partners on our first public building retrofit investment,” Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank, said in a statement.
“The project will dramatically lower GHG emissions at the hospital while helping UHN meet its climate change commitments. We look forward to working with more public sector asset owners and the private sector to invest in new energy retrofit projects which consider long-term sustainability and action on climate change.
The Government of Canada is providing a grant under the Environment and Climate Change Canada – Low Carbon Economy Fund.
The retrofit project will use the Huber ThermWin System and Noventa IP to transfer thermal energy to and from wastewater flowing in the mid-Toronto interceptor sewer to provide low-carbon heating and cooling to the hospital.
As a result, the hospital’s natural gas use and water consumption will be significantly reduced. Over the next 30 years, the hospital will see a cumulative reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 250,000 tonnes.
“At UHN, we know climate change is a major threat to health,” said Ron Swail, vice president, Facilities Management – Planning, Redevelopment and Operations, University Health Network. “Over the past decade, our Energy and Environment team has completed more than 300 energy projects, which have already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent. We’re excited to add the WET System.”
This is the first project under the CIB’s Public Building Retrofits Initiative launched to achieve significant energy savings from infrastructure owned and/or managed by the public sector.