Alberta Utilities Commission greenlights application for waste-to-energy facility

Mrinali Anchan · CBC News

· Posted: May 19, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) has approved Varme Energy's exertion to physique a waste-to-energy facility, that would usage c seizure and retention exertion to person coagulated discarded from Edmonton into energy.

The AUC, the province's autarkic utilities regulator, approved the exertion connected May 2. Varme Energy CEO Sean Collins told CBC News that determination has been important advancement implicit the past six period to get the task to fruition.

"We've been spending beauteous important clip connected each of the cardinal permits and approvals done the project, and [have] been making truly beardown advancement connected that front," Collins said.

"One of the reasons we're truthful focused connected Edmonton is due to the fact that we person the No. 1 and No. 2 biggest CO2 pipelines successful the satellite originating retired of Edmonton." 

Varme Energy, a subsidiary of Norwegian-based Varme Energy AS, applied to the committee for support to conception and run a 19.6-megawatt earthy gas-fired powerfulness plant, called the Heartland Waste-to-Energy Facility. The AUC issued the announcement of exertion connected March 7.

The $300 cardinal task volition beryllium located northeast of Edmonton successful Strathcona County, seven kilometres northeast of the metropolis of Fort Saskatchewan and five kilometres southwest of the municipality of Bruderheim.

Starting successful 2028, Varme Energy is contracted to person 150,000 tonnes of the City of Edmonton's residential discarded each twelvemonth to make electricity. 

"This statement aligns with the city's nonsubjective of reducing landfill reliance by diverting discarded toward other beneficial uses," Chris Fowler, the city's acting subdivision manager of discarded services, said successful a connection to CBC.

The metropolis reached an statement with Varme Energy aft a competitory bidding process, helium added.

Collins, of Varme Energy, said the task volition spot municipal garbage trucks bring coagulated discarded to the caller facility, alternatively of the landfill.

"We'll combust the discarded to extract the vigor retired and integrate c capture, to seizure the emissions from the facility, truthful that you get a landfill-free and carbon-free solution," Collins said.

Varme Energy drew inspiration from policies and technological advancements successful European countries, Collins said, noting that the continent has astir 500 oregon much operating waste-energy facilities.

"The feature and innovation for america is gathering c seizure from Day 1," Collins said.

Amit Kumar, a University of Alberta biology engineering researcher, told CBC News that the project holds promise, and could service arsenic an illustration for communities crossed Canada however to trust less on landfills. 

"You tin debar the landfill fee, but besides present you tin seizure c and enactment it underground, truthful you person gross generated to c credits," Kumar said.

"Municipal coagulated discarded is simply a situation for each the communities, each the provinces — you sanction it. Everywhere we make waste. So this could beryllium 1 of the trial cases successful however successfully this is run, and it could assistance successful implementing it crossed Canada."

Construction connected the installation is expected to statesman successful aboriginal 2027, past go afloat operational successful 2028.