Ontario Construction News staff writer
EAST GWILLIMBURY—The Ontario government is celebrating progress on a new state-of-the-art biofuel facility that officials say will save York Region millions in waste management costs while expanding the province’s clean-energy capacity.
The new facility is expected to be completed by early 2027, and Convertus is under contract with the Town of East Gwillimbury through 2047.
Convertus Group is building the project on a 12-acre site on Garfield Wright Boulevard, where crews are now underway on what the province is calling a major step forward in turning waste into fuel.
“We’re going to process 170,000 tonnes of waste with an opportunity to expand to 200,000 tonnes in the future,” said Jamie Jongsma, Convertus Group CFO. “That’s going to produce over 400,000 gigajoules of renewable energy a year, which will heat up to 5,000 homes in the area.”
The facility will convert all organic material from York Region’s green bin program into certified fertilizers and renewable natural gas (RNG). It will also be the first in Canada to use technology that captures and liquefies CO₂ for resale, rather than flaring it into the atmosphere.
“Most facilities in Canada flare that CO₂, but we’re going to capture it, cool it, compress it, and turn it into a renewable CO₂ product that we can sell back into the industrial sector,” Jongsma said.
The project is supported by a $165-million investment from Convertus, along with $2 million from the province through its Regional Development Program. Once complete, it will create 52 new jobs.
“This is just a really beautiful opportunity to show that, illustrate it, and make money along the way,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. York—Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney added that the investment highlights the province’s commitment to innovation.
The facility is also expected to significantly cut York Region’s transportation needs. The region currently travels nearly one million kilometres each year hauling organic waste to sites across Ontario. Convertus estimates that number will drop to roughly 80,000 kilometres once the East Gwillimbury plant opens—more than a 90 per cent reduction in distance travelled, lowering both costs and emissions.
“That just speaks to the level of collaboration that is occurring to ensure that residents have the opportunity for a better tomorrow—from an innovation standpoint and an environmental perspective,” said Brian Johns, East Gwillimbury Ward Councillor and Acting Mayor.
