Photo: Shaun Penner

By Emily Keller

eastlink centre

Installation of combined heat and power unit at Eastlink Centre to go before Council

Feb 20, 2020 | 4:30 AM

The Eastlink Centre may soon have a combined heat and power (CHP) unit installed.

At Tuesday’s committee meetings, the Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee heard from ATCO and others about the unit.

The recommendation was for Council to amend the 2020/2021 Capital Plan to include $1.865 million for the installation of the CHP unit.

Michelle Gardner, Manager of Energy & Environmental Services for the City, says they have been exploring ways to have combined heat and power at the Eastlink Centre for about five years.

“The Recreation Energy Conservation Energy program that the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre offered was the best program to date, in that it’s $750,000 towards the capital cost, so that makes it a much more viable project.”

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The Recreation Energy Conservation Energy program (REC) was released in 2019 by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), specifically for recreational facilities.

The City says the CHP unit for the Eastlink Centre fit the criteria for the funding from the REC program and was pre-approved for the $750,000. Gardner says that they will lose the funding if the unit installation is not approved by Council, as they have already been given an extension and only have until the week of February 24 left for approval.

Provided by ATCO/AESO for the City

She says the CHP unit will get the City closer to its target of reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 20 per cent, which was decided on in 2014.

“(The) Eastlink Centre comprises 40 per cent of our building emissions, so it’s the largest emitter that we have in our corporate inventory.”

In the report provided to Committee, ATCO says they had developed two options for the CHP at the Eastlink Centre.

The first option is a twin-turbine unit that would reduce GHG emissions by 14 per cent and decrease electricity required from the grid by 73 per cent. Option two is a single reciprocating engine that would reduce GHG emissions by 21 per cent and a decrease in electricity required by 60 per cent.

Committee voted to recommend Council approve the plan.