A cleaner solution

Dalhousie University is doing its part to help create cleaner air in partnership with the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Province of Nova Scotia and local institutions including Saint Mary's University, the Victoria General Hospital and the Halifax Infirmary.

Most major institutions in Halifax currently heat themselves by using Bunker C fuel to produce steam. Natural gas, a cleaner but more expensive fuel option, is available in Dartmouth. Natural gas can be used to run turbines to generate electricity. In turn, the waste heat from the turbines can be used to heat facilities.

"Even with those efficiencies, gas is still too expensive," says Jeff Lamb, Director of Facilities Management. "This new community energy project involves building a large central plant to provide heat to several institutions, which will allow all of us to reap the benefits. The result will be a signficant reduction in emissions."

Using natural gas instead of Bunker C will reduce carbon emissions by as much as 128,000 tonnes per year, which will help us contribute to reaching Canada's Kyoto commitments. For this reason, the federal government recently announced $20 million in funding towards the project, which is to be matched by the provincial government, for an overall $45 to $60 million project.

Dalhousie had an added incentive to take part in the project. "Our boilers are old and we are currently using 100 per cent of our capacity on the coldest winter days," says Lamb. "Taking part in this project will save us from spending over $6 million to replace our boilers and associated systems."

The business case for the project is currently being established and the technical design phase of the project is expected to begin shortly.