Cedar Road Bioenergy
| Total Cost | Project 1: $3.0 Mil Project 2: $2.4 Mil |
|---|---|
| BCBN Investment | Project 1: $400,000 Loan Project 2: $200,000 Equity |
| Status | Completed |
| Location | Nanaimo, British Columbia |
Converting municipal waste to energy
Project 1 – Biogas to Electricity Phase 1
Project 2 – Biogas to Electricity Phase 2: Storage plus District Heating
Project Profile:
On Vancouver Island, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) and Cedar Road established the Nanaimo Bioenergy Centre to capture and utilize landfill gas to offset costs and meet climate action commitments. Opened in 2009, this gas utilization facility — the first of its kind in the province — generates electricity from landfill gas.
Initially leveraging BCBN’s $400,000 loan and $200,000 equity investment, the company is building a landfill gas conversion facility over two phases. The subsequent installation of a gas holding tank system proved a game changer for the facility, helping to enhance profitability.
Today, Cedar Road is selling the resulting electricity to BC Hydro under the Standing Offer Program.
The equipment cluster has a modular design consisting of a gas conditioner and two General Electric Jenbacher engines, all housed in steel containers. The equipment can be easily relocated to new locations (other landfills).
For the Phase 2 expansion, BCBN’s $200,000 equity investment in Nanaimo-based Cedar Road Bioenergy supported the installation of a gas storage system which improves the revenues and profits. The facility’s eventual generating capacity is planned to be 3 to 5 megawatts within 10 years.
With the success of the Nanaimo project, the parent company of Cedar Road, Suncurrent Group, has now set up a subsidiary in Mexico and is pursuing other projects both inside and outside of British Columbia. Suncurrent Group hosted the first-ever Cuban Opportunities in Bioenergy Workshop in Havana, Cuba, November 4 & 5, 2015.
To advance technology, The Nanaimo Bioenergy Centre continuously supports education and research with aligned schools, companies and organizations. As a training platform, they encourage students and new group employees from Canada, Mexico and internationally entering the clean energy sector to gain implementation experience.
References:
Funders and Partners:
