Ontario Construction News staff writer
York Region and Convertus have broken ground on a new biofuel facility designed to convert organic waste into renewable natural gas and biofuel. This project marks a significant step toward sustainable waste management in the area.
Bird Construction, based in Mississauga, will lead the construction of the facility, while GHD Engineering from Toronto will manage engineering and environmental aspects.
“This project is a significant step for sustainable waste management in Ontario,” said Teri McKibbon, President and CEO of Bird Construction. “It marks Canada’s first biofuel project executed under an Integrated Project Delivery model, aligning with our commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions.”
In January 2023, York Regional Council approved a 20-year contract with Convertus to process curbside household green bin materials locally. The contract was awarded following a competitive bidding process, highlighting Convertus’s commitment to environmentally responsible waste processing.
The facility will produce fertilizer approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and renewable natural gas.
Located adjacent to the Material Recovery and Transfer Facility at 100 Garfield Wright Boulevard in East Gwillimbury, the new biofuel facility will have the capacity to process up to 165,000 tonnes of organic waste annually when it becomes operational in 2027. This capacity is expected to meet the region’s processing needs until 2047.
As York Region’s population grows, the amount of organic waste generated is expected to increase.
The new facility will reduce the need for long-distance transportation of green bin materials, which currently travel up to 360 kilometres to three separate facilities across Ontario and is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year and will produce enough renewable natural gas to heat about 5,000 homes in the region annually.
