Bioenergy from Commercial-Municipal Organic Waste

Project Team

Faculty lead: Dr. Naoko Ellis, Professor, Faculty of Applied Science, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Staff lead: Jason Rako, People and Process Manager, Energy and Water Services, UBC Facilities

Co-lead: Sergio Berretta, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Applied Science, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Co-lead: Dr. Xiaotao(Tony) Bi, Professor, Faculty of Applied Science, Clean Energy Research Centre

Reducing GHG emissions by replacing natural gas with biomass

The project aims to demonstrate that the organic waste being collected on the UBC Vancouver campus and nearby municipalities can be used as a biogenic energy source to heat the campus – a potential outcome that could significantly help UBC meet its Climate Action Plan 2030 emission reduction goals. 

UBC and the adjacent municipalities currently collect approximately 1,300 and 50,000 tonnes per year of organic waste, respectively. Much of UBC’s and all of the City of Vancouver’s organic waste is transported out of the municipality for disposal, leading to a significant transportation carbon footprint.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions through heating, UBC Vancouver is shifting from heating supplied through the Campus Energy Centre (using natural gas) to the Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility (BRDF) which generates heat from biomass, a carbon-neutral energy source. The BRDF currently requires between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes per year of dry biomass as feedstock, with a capacity for utilizing up to 25,000 tonnes using a new 12 MW boiler. This requires an increase in locally sourced biomass.

Testing local organic waste as a biomass fuel

Through this project, the UBC team will work to source and characterize organic waste streams produced both at on campus and by nearby municipalities and test its combustion characteristics. The industrial partner, Anaconda Systems Limited, will work on pre-treatment steps for conditioning the organic waste suitable as a feedstock for UBC’s BRDF. Composting organic waste not only enhances its calorific value but also reduces harmful emissions during energy conversion processes¹. Anaconda's ability to locally supply the post-digestion material enhances waste utilization efficiency, resulting in decreased greenhouse gas emissions. Significant testing will be done at the BRDF to understand the biomass supply chain through sourcing, pre-treatment process, and operating conditions in our effort to close the loop on organic waste on campus.

Exploring the potential for biomass across the region

The project outcome has the potential to completely reimagine how UBC and local municipalities see and treat their organic collections (i.e., from a waste to a resource), while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heating. Recent advancements in anaerobic digestion and composting technologies have shown promise in converting municipal solid waste into reliable bioenergy sources, providing a sustainable solution for urban areas². Moreover, using biowaste compost as a fuel source for heating facilities aligns with the principles of the circular bioeconomy, ensuring minimal waste while generating renewable energy³. 

_{¹Chia, W. Y., Chew, K. W., Le, C. F., Lam, S. S., Chee, C. S. C., Ooi, M. S. L., & Show, P. L. (2020). Sustainable utilization of biowaste compost for renewable energy and soil amendments. Environmental pollution, 267, 115662}

_{²Usmani, Z., Kumar, V., Varjani, S., Gupta, P., Rani, R., & Chandra, A. (2020). Municipal solid waste to clean energy system: A contribution toward sustainable development. In Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering (pp. 217-231). Elsevier.}

_{³Yeo, J., Oh, J. I., Cheung, H. H., Lee, P. K., & An, A. K. (2019). Smart Food Waste Recycling Bin (S-FRB) to turn food waste into green energy resources. Journal of environmental management, 234, 290-296.}