The Danish biogas giant NGF Nature Energy plans to build two plants to treat more than one million tonnes of slurry and agricultural waste each year. These projects will make it possible to produce not only methane to supply the Quebec gas network, but also thousands of tons of digestate to replace chemical fertilizers in agriculture.
The company, which operates a dozen biomethanization plants in Europe, is working on the construction and operation of a first $100 million project in Farnham, Estrie. The plant must process 600,000 tons of organic waste annually, including pig and cattle manure, to produce 20 million cubic meters of biomethane, the equivalent of what is needed to heat nearly 15,000 homes.
However, in December, the company discreetly registered a company in Quebec to oversee a similar initiative in Louiseville, in Mauricie, whose size and capacity would be similar according to information from the Homework. “Our project in Louiseville is still in its infancy, so I cannot comment further at this time,” replied Hans Henrik Dahl Andersen, North America business development manager at Nature Energy, by email.
In documents filed with the Commission de protection du territoire agricole, there is talk of a “90 million dollar” plant that could “produce up to 5% of the province’s renewable gas”.
Farmers
Farmers in the region would be 20% partners and would invest in the equipment needed to treat manure and slurry, as described therein. “As a rule, in our other factories, the farmers own around 10 to 20 percent,” says Hans Henrik Dahl Andersen.
The partnership is explained by the fact that part of the treated materials returns to farmers in the form of digestate, a material composed of nutrients that can replace chemical fertilizers in agriculture. In the case of the Farnham plant, 95% of the slurry and organic waste treated — 570,000 tons — would then be spread on the fields of the region.
Énergir has confirmed to Homework have discussions with Nature Energy to eventually inject the biomethane produced into its network. No agreement has been reached, notes the distributor’s spokesperson, Catherine Houde, recalling that “promoters wishing to develop renewable natural gas (RNG) production projects in Quebec must necessarily tie up with Énergir and /or Gazifère”.
She adds: “Nature Energy is a serious and respected player with several projects in Europe to its credit. »
Founded in 2015, the company quickly carved out a place for itself in Europe. To do this, it relied on a peculiarity of Denmark: the country has one of the highest densities of livestock in the world. For example, there are more than 13 million pigs for 5.8 million citizens; in Quebec, about 7 million pigs are raised for a population of nearly 8.5 million.
Nature Energy, which plans to open a dozen factories each year by 2025, transforms 4.4 million organic waste annually into 158 million cubic meters of biomethane.
“It’s good news that it’s a company from Denmark, because it’s a country that is very advanced in the development of these technologies,” said Philippe Dunsky, president of Dunsky Energy + Climate. A quarter of the Scandinavian country’s natural gas consumption comes from biomethane, and Nature Energy alone produces a third of it.
The industry has been stimulated by the introduction of measures such as the 1998 ban on the landfilling of organic waste and restrictions on the application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers in fields.
“Dozens of projects”
Mr. Dunsky points out that the two Nature Energy projects represent a good part “of the 120 m3 of GNR” produced in the province. He adds: “But it’s not revolutionary either, because to achieve Quebec’s goal by 2030 — 10% RNG in the gas network — several projects of this scale will be needed. »
The arrival of such a major player on Quebec soil is not unrelated to the Quebec government’s desire to stimulate the bioenergy sector. The government is to publish a strategy on this subject this spring. This fall, a government source involved in the case told the Homework that Legault’s government was planning to inject “hundreds of millions, even more than a billion” for the development of bioenergy and hydrogen.
It is good news that it is a company from Denmark, because it is a country that is very advanced in the development of these technologies
The Nature Energy plants are “major projects,” says Geneviève Tremblay, press secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonatan Julien, without however giving more details about their particularities. The government wants to develop this sector, she said, adding that “dozens of projects” have been submitted to the government for funding.
The Government of Quebec’s 2030 Energy Policy aims to increase bioenergy production by 25% compared to 2013 in the province, and renewable natural gas is considered a source of bioenergy.