York Region officials broke ground on a new $490-million biofuel facility in East Gwillimbury expected to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions by 15,000 tonnes annually.
Officials gathered at 50 Garfield Wright Blvd. for the ceremony for the Convertus York Biofuel Facility, which will process York Region’s green bin material, with a projected completion date of June 2027.
York Region chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson said a facility like this is necessary with York Region's growth and consistently producing more waste every year.
“It's about building a greener and more sustainable future by embracing innovation and sustainability,” Emmerson said. “We are reinforcing York Region’s vision of a world where nothing goes to waste.”
York Region contracted Convertus to build the facility in early 2023 at a cost of $490 million plus HST, with Convertus beating out five other proponents. The region sought a different way to process its green bin material as opposed to using facilities in London and Moose Creek, which emit carbon dioxide. The new facility is contracted over a 20-year term, with staff projecting $85 million in savings over that time period versus the status quo.
The facility will process at least 140,000 tonnes of organic waste per year. Through processing, it removes contaminants and then ferments the remaining material in anaerobic digestion tanks to create biogas. That biogas is then further processed into natural gas. Convertus estimates the facility will be able to heat 5,000 homes with its natural gas. The facility will also produce liquid fertilizer.
Vice-president and global leader in future energy at GHD Tej Gidda said this is the largest and most advanced facility of this kind in Canadian history, using technologies from similar European facilities.
“This makes us a model for other facilities that need to come,“ Gidda said.
East Gwillimbury Mayor Virigna Hackson said the facility will boost the region’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
“We’re excited about this facility and the advancement it means in our community and our planet,” Hackson said. “Together, we are building a brighter, more sustainable future for East Gwillimbury.”
Convertus president and CEO Michael Leopold said the facility will span 12 acres and will help York Region reach its ambitious sustainability goals.
“This facility, like others, is proof that we can achieve when we work together to a circular economy, where waste is no longer seen as an end, but a beginning.”
