An aerial view of the Lethbridge Biogas plant. (Supplied by Lethbridge Biogas)

By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge Biogas to supply renewable natural gas to FortisBC

Aug 20, 2021 | 4:45 PM

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A Lethbridge-based company, which is the largest agricultural-based biogas facility of its kind in Western Canada, is teaming with FortisBC to supply enough energy to meet the needs of roughly 3,800 homes in British Columbia.

FortisBC Energy Inc. is now receiving carbon-neutral renewable natural gas (RNG) from Lethbridge Biogas LP., which offers reliable disposal options for agricultural organic waste in the Southern Alberta region. Following an expansion to its facility to add a biogas upgrading system, Lethbridge Biogas signed a deal to provide FortisBC with up to 350,000 gigajoules of RNG per year.

READ MORE: Lethbridge Biogas undergoing $7-million expansion

FortisBC noted that this is its third source of RNG from outside of British Columbia as the company continues to add new volumes of renewable gases and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Director of renewable gas and low carbon fuels with FortisBC, David Bennett said, “greenhouse gases don’t recognize provincial borders, so our efforts to combat them shouldn’t be limited by geographical borders either.”

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“That’s why, while we continue to develop local sources of RNG, we’re also searching for opportunities to bring more RNG supply into our system from outside of the province. Not only are we continuing to increase the amount of RNG in our system, we’re now working with a fellow RNG forerunner in Lethbridge Biogas. It’s an exciting time for us.”

FortisBC explains that when bacteria breaks down organic waste from sources like landfills, agricultural waste and wastewater from treatment facilities, it produces a biogas mostly made of methane. FortisBC can capture that biogas and purify it to create RNG, a carbon neutral energy source, rather than releasing methane into the environment. As the RNG mixes into the existing natural gas infrastructure, it displaces equivalent volumes of conventional natural gas and lowers greenhouse gas emissions overall.

Lethbridge Biogas’ director of operations, Stefan Michalski said, “RNG has become a highly sought-after commodity to reduce the carbon footprint in the natural gas supply chain.”

He added that the company is extremely thrilled to be part of FortisBC’s RNG supply system.

“This is a significant milestone for us, as we finally see full recognition for the value our facility provides in the context of environmental sustainability and greenhouse gas reductions. This allows us to expand on future feedstock opportunities and to offer reliable disposal options for organic waste in the region for decades to come.”

Lethbridge Biogas’ site is the largest agricultural-based biogas facility in Western Canada.

More on FortisBC’s RNG work is available here. More information about Lethbridge Biogas can be found here.