Ministers Chris Ballard and Reza Moridi from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science (MRIS) respectively, along with Parminder Sandhu, Chair of the Green Ontario Fund Board of Directors toured Walker Environmental and announced the first round TargetGHG Stream 1 Industrial Demonstration Program projects today. The TargetGHG program is funded by the MRIS and administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), aimed at helping Ontario meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets by encouraging large industrial plants to adopt leading-edge technology and supporting Ontario’s entrepreneurs in developing creative new solutions.
“Supporting the efforts of large industries in their quest to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions is an important part of our government’s Climate Change Action Plan,” says Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. “With the help of our province’s innovative cleantech companies, the TargetGHG program will help build a prosperous, low carbon economy and create a cleaner, more sustainable future for Ontario.”
Climate change is currently affecting Ontarians and the Indigenous peoples of Ontario and if left unchecked, these impacts will only increase.
“Walker Environmental and its partnership company Integrated Gas Recovery Services draw on over 15 years of experience participating and investing in resource recovery and landfill gas utilization throughout Canada,” says Mike Watt, Executive Vice President of Walker Environmental. “We are excited to work with large emitters like GM and Stelco to create innovative ways to reduce GHG emissions and show our continued support as Ontario transitions to a low-carbon economy.”
These two projects, which will reduce Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70,000 tCO2e annually, are shining examples of how industry across Canada is collaborating to reduce waste, create sustainable products and decrease GHG emissions all while investing and creating jobs of the future, here in Ontario.
Integrated Gas Recovery Systems (IGRS) is a partnership company between Walker Environmental and Comcor Environmental. IGRS, a pioneer in the voluntary carbon market, is Canada’s largest landfill gas utilization project developer. Together, General Motors of Canada (GM) and IGRS will take landfill gas from the Walker Environmental disposal facility in Niagara Falls, process it and transport it through a dedicated pipeline to GM’s plant in St. Catharines. Landfill gas, which is a renewable fuel, will be used to generate electricity and reduce natural gas consumption, making the plant one of GM’s lowest GHG emission facilities globally. The project will allow GM to reduce both their base-load electrical demand and simultaneously their fossil-fuel based emissions by 5,500 tCO2e per year.
“With the support of OCE, Alectra, and IGRS, this proposed cogeneration project will enable GM Canada and our partners to reduce net GHGs from our St. Catharines operations while significantly lowering our plant energy operating costs,” says David Paterson, Vice President of Corporate and Environmental Affairs. “It’s a win for the environment and for the long-term competitiveness of our St. Catharines automotive operation.”
Walker is also partnering with Stelco’s plant in Hamilton, who recently began using bio-carbon, produced by Walker from recovered resources, in their steel mill’s coke oven. Bio-carbon is being used to replace a portion of coal in the coking process and in turn will provide 64,000 tCO2e reduction in the GHG emissions from this process.
“Stelco is extremely proud of the collaborative innovation we have undertaken with our partner, Walker Environmental, that will result in significant GHG reductions and make an important contribution to the future of Ontario’s circular economy,” says Michael McQuade, President of Stelco. “We are also excited to have the support of Ontario Centres of Excellence through the TargetGHG program which has made this project commercially viable. As a result, we are diverting thousands of tonnes waste from incinerators and landfills while making Stelco more competitive and environmentally sustainable.”
Over the past 5 years alone, Walker has invested in resource recovery businesses and grown by over 200 employees. Walker is actively investing in resource recovery and waste management infrastructure in Ontario. Walker currently recovers over 400,000 tonnes of organic resources each year to produce high quality end products such as compost, mulches and fertilizers. For materials that aren’t able to be recycled or recovered we also provide reliable and safe waste disposal at our Niagara landfill.
To learn more about the announcement made today at Walker Environmental, visit http://news.ontario.ca/ene/en/2017/12/new-program-supporting-low-carbon-innovation-for-industry.html
About Walker Industries and Walker Environmental
Since 1887, Walker Industries, the parent company of Walker Environmental has proven to be a diversified company with a reputation for integrity, care & creativity. Walker is a 5th generation, family-owned Canadian company that has operated from a base in the Niagara Region for over 125 years. Now with facilities across Canada and the United States and employing more than 700 people, the company takes pride in providing infrastructure that builds communities. Walker Industries group of companies offers aggregates, paving & construction, emulsions and environmental waste & recycling solutions.
Walker Environmental is a leading waste management and resource recovery company. The company operates two landfills, a waste transfer facility, six biosolids stabilization plants, two composting facilities, four food/residual organic processing facilities, several landfill gas renewable energy projects in Ontario and Manitoba, and a waste haulage company.
Commitment to the environment, communities, and tomorrow’s generations is the foundation for growth at Walker Industries. To learn more about Walker Industries and Walker Environmental please visit www.walkerind.com
