A study of industrial sites in Canada’s Edmonton area shows enough waste heat is generated to heat 15,200 homes, generate 5 MW of on-site power and reduce CO2 emissions in the region by 151,000 tonnes.
Undertaken by a partnership between CMC Research Institutes (assuming operational leadership for study lead C3), Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures (AITF), and Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA), the report: Community Integrated Energy Mapping Feasibility Study, obtained data from 16 industrial companies in the Strathcona County and Alberta’s Industrial Heartland areas. Project funding was provided to C3 by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and AIHA.
The region is home to approximately 40 companies across a variety of sectors primarily producing and processing oil, gas, and petrochemicals and the study revealed a significant amount of waste heat exists in the area, some 300 MW. Assuming that approximately 33% of the total available could be captured and repurposed, 97 MW of waste energy could be applied towards other uses, the study concludes.
Of the usable waste energy 64 MW comes from low pollutant exhaust stacks with temperatures between 230 and 1100°C; 85 MW comes from low pollutant exhaust stacks with temperatures between 120 to 230 °C and 151 MW comes from coolers and compressors with temperatures between 80 and 230 °C.
Companies that participated include Air Liquide, AltaSteel, Rio Tinto Alcan, and Shell Canada, among others.
‘The results of the study indicate a positive value proposition for further industry and government engagement in implementation actions that reduce GHG emissions, improve competiveness, enhance efficiency and contribute to economic diversification,’ says Jeff Reading, CMC representative and project lead.
