Break-through landfill renewable natural gas technology in Quebec

Waga Energy, the European leader in landfill gas-to- renewable natural gas (RNG) technology, has been enlisted by The Mauricie Residual Materials Management Board (RGMRM) to deploy its innovative gas upgrading solution at the Saint-Étienne-des-Grès landfill, in Quebec. The green gas produced will be purchased by Énergir, the largest gas distribution company in the province, and injected into its gas grid onsite. This landfill gas-to-RNG project will be the first in Canada to use the WAGABOX® technology, developed by Waga Energy to recover landfill gas in the form of RNG, also known as biomethane.

Under the agreement, Waga Energy will buy the landfill gas from RGMRM for a period of at least 20 years. It will then be transformed into grid-compliant RNG by a WAGABOX® gas treatment unit built onsite. Waga Energy will generate income by selling its RNG production to Énergir. Until now, the landfill gas at Saint-Étienne-des-Grès was captured and burned in a flare. 

Designed to process 3,400 cubic meters of biogas per hour (2,000 scfm), the WAGABOX® unit in Saint-Étienne-des-Grès will produce 468,000 GJ* of renewable gas per year, corresponding to the annual consumption of 8,000 local households. The WAGABOX® unit will be built in Shawinigan by a local company under the supervision of Waga Energy’s Canadian subsidiary, except for the cryogenic distillation module which will be imported from France. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2022.

Mathieu Lefebvre, president and co-founder of Waga Energy, declared: “Thanks to the WAGABOX® solution, hundreds of landfill sites across the United States and Canada will be able to produce renewable natural gas, contribute to the energy transition, and generate a new revenue stream, without the need for investment, and free from additional operating constraints.”

The project carried out jointly by RGMRM and Waga Energy will improve the environmental record of Mauricie and will contribute to Quebec's energy transition. It will prevent the release of 23,000 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere by substituting renewable gas for fossil natural gas.

Michel Angers, President of RGMRM, said: "This contract is the result of an initiative undertaken several months ago to identify the best technology to enable us to use our landfill gas to its full potential. Thanks to the WAGABOX® technology, treating our gas is no longer an expense, it is a new income stream, and more importantly, it is yet another step towards a more sustainable approach to landfill management. The project fits perfectly with the government's greenhouse gas reduction objectives and we are proud to contribute to Quebec's energy transition."

Renault Lortie, Vice-President, Customers and Gas Supply, at Énergir, concluded: "The development of the green gas industry in Quebec is one of the cornerstones of our efforts to decarbonize our economy. Énergir aims to inject an ever-increasing amount of renewable gas into its network, corresponding to a volume of at least 10% that of the annual volume it distributes by 2030. This fantastic project brings us a step closer to this objective, demonstrates the value of smart circular economy, and allows more and more of our customers to benefit from clean and local energy”.