New plants convert waste pipeline heat into clean electricity

CALGARY, Sept. 2 /CNW/ – Pristine Power Inc. and ENMAX Green Power Inc. today announced that commercial operations have started at their jointly owned Enpower 5 MW Energy Recovery Generation (ERG) project in British Columbia under the terms of a 20-year electricity purchase agreement with BC Hydro.
The plant, located in Savona, about 45 km west of Kamloops, generates electricity from the waste heat created by existing gas compressors on Spectra Energy’s main natural gas pipeline. The ERG process captures waste heat and converts it to pressured vapour to drive a vapour turbine generator. ERG uses proven technologies and similar systems are used on other pipeline compressors and in geothermal applications around the world. The Savona project is one of two Enpower ERG 5 MW projects in the province. The other 5 MW project, located on the same pipeline at 150 Mile House, 270 km north of Kamloops, is expected to begin operating later this month.
“This is the type of innovative technology that IPPs and industry bring to the table, along with investment in B.C.’s economy,” said Richard Neufeld, British Columbia’s Minister of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources. “Developing made in B.C. solutions like this demonstrates our commitment to alternative energy sources, helps us achieve our aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets and builds on British Columbia’s legacy of clean, green power sources.”
Together the two projects will produce 10 MW of clean electricity, enough to power approximately 10,000 homes a year. They will also offset greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 25,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to removing 9,000 cars from our roads.