Chatham-Kent councilors will consider the next steps for a proposed waste-to-energy facility and partnership with Greenfield Global Inc.
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A staff report to be presented Monday will ask the municipality, along with the Chatham-Kent public utilities commission, to support Greenfield’s application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for funding.
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The money would come through the capital project organic waste to energy program, for a combined grant and loan of a maximum of $10 million.
The project, which still requires further approvals, would involve the construction of an industrial anaerobic digester to process organic waste, which would otherwise be disposed of in a landfill, and convert it into renewable natural gas.
“A plant in Chatham-Kent will provide significant environmental benefits and outcomes of this project fully aligned with council strategic direction related to climate,” stated the report, posted on the municipality’s website Thursday.
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“Successfully obtaining this funding will further ensure the viability of the project. It is anticipated that the Chatham-Kent project is a very good candidate for funding.”
Greenfield operates a similar plant in Varennes, Que., and has served more than 30 local municipalities in the area south of Montreal.
Councilors received a staff update on the initiative last June. At the time, council supported continued due diligence with an advance investment of up to $1.3 million, or 40 per cent, to further the engineering design, as well as provide greater assurance of final construction cost and viability.
If the project goes ahead, the facility would be located at 175 Bloomfield Rd. in Chatham, adjacent to both the Chatham wastewater treatment plant and the Greenfield ethanol plant.
It is anticipated a final decision will be presented to the PUC and council in late May or June of this year, with construction completed in the first quarter of 2027, the report stated.
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