Vancouver sewage set to start powering Olympics
http://www.canada.com/sports/2010win...722/story.html
Vancouver sewage set to start powering Olympics
By Gerry Bellett, Canwest News ServiceJanuary 14, 2010
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465...22/2442754.bin
A file photo of Vancouver's athlete's village.
Photograph by: Andy Clark, Reuters
VANCOUVER — A Vancouver power plant that runs on human waste was switched on Thursday, ahead of its Olympic debut.
The energy centre, one of the first in North America to use sewage as fuel, will “keep 2,800 athletes and officials warm during the Olympics,” Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said Thursday.
The $30 million False Creek Energy Centre is part of Vancouver’s attempt to become a world leader in green energy, Robertson said.
“This marks the first time in North America that heat recovered from untreated waste water is being used in an urban centre. Waste water heat recovery out of this plant will account for about 70 per cent of the neighbourhood’s annual energy requirements,” said Robertson.
He said it was expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 per cent compared to the use of natural gas for heating.
Human waste is widely used for fuel in Europe, particularly in Denmark.
Project manager Chris Baber said sewage is pumped into the Vancouver facility, strained, then passed through heat pumps to warm water. The water then provides heating for buildings.
The sewage is then pumped into a collection system and taken to a treatment plant in the nearby city of Richmond.
Baber said the facility would meet the energy requirements for 16,000 residents.
The federal government invested $9.45 million in the project, while the Federation of Canadian Municipalities contributed $5 million. The rest was paid for by the City of Vancouver.
Vancouver Sun
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