Canada: Gaz Metro to Open Liquefied Biomethane Fuelling Station

Gaz Métro announced  a first public liquefied biomethane fuelling station at Rivière-du-Loup.

The project was announced at a press conference held yesterday at the Rivière-du-Loup Carrefour du camion in the presence of Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, for Official Languages and for the Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec, and MP for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, Pierre Arcand, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, Jean D’Amour, President of SÉMER, Michel Morin, Mayor of the City of Rivière-du-Loup, as well as Jean-Pierre Noël, General Manager of Gaz Métro Transport Solutions.

The agreement covers the purchase of the liquefied biomethane produced by the anaerobic digestion plant at Rivière-du-Loup and the operation of a new biomethane fuelling station, intended for the heavy transport market.

The project marks a new stage in the “Blue Road’ project, which supplies liquefied natural gas in the corridor between regions of Québec and Greater Toronto that is busily travelled by heavy trucks. As well as being the first public station unlike the two other fuelling stations serving the “Blue Road,” the one in Rivière-du-Loup will also be a trend-setter in distributing a renewable fuel. The project announced yesterday will also mark an important milestone in the innovative measures announced by the Québec government aimed at the development of liquefied natural gas for heavy transportation.

Attentive to the needs of municipalities and to the desire of the government to promote green energies, Gaz Métro has signed an agreement with the Société d’économie mixte d’énergie renouvelable de la région de Rivière-du-Loup (SÉMER), wherein Gaz Métro Transport Solutions undertakes to buy all the liquefied biomethane produced by the Rivière-du-Loup plant for a minimum for 20 years.

“We are anxious to pursue our work with SÉMER in order to continue to develop this new energy sector,” said Jean-Pierre Noël, General Manager of Gaz Métro Transport Solutions. “It is a very promising avenue for the sound management of waste, the local production of green energy, and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in an activity sector that greatly needs it – heavy transportation.”

The annual production of liquefied biomethane at the Rivière-du-Loup plant is estimated at 3 million m³, which will lead to savings in GHG emissions of more than 7,000 tonnes. In fact, the use of biomethane as an alternative to diesel fuel by heavy trucks translates into a reduction of GHGs in the order of 85%.

This project, which adds renewable natural gas to its offer of liquefied natural gas, is part of Gaz Métro’s energy diversification plan. Local companies will also be able to take advantage of this new clean and economical solution.

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LNG World News Staff, August 01, 2012; Image: Gaz Metro