Dockside Green

Project description

The project is an integrated, systems approach to energy, water, waste and resource management for sustainable site infrastructure at Dockside Green. Most developments do not undertake such a systems approach and as a result resources are wasted, greenhouse gases are created and the associated economic and environmental benefits are missed.

Dockside Green and its partners have applied an integrated design approach to the Dockside community. This holistic approach was used to enhance synergies between the building systems, the site and the supporting community infrastructure. The project goes beyond the “reduce, reuse and recycle” principles and looks at how to close the loop by making waste into a resource. The waste resulting from one use can become the nutrient feeding the next system.  Holistic, closed-loop thinking and design improves and potentially compounds the economic, environmental and livability benefits and attributes of the project.

Becoming GHG-neutral at Dockside Green

The entire Dockside Green development will be GHG-neutral as a result of three measures:

• Installation of a Nexterra’s biomass gasification system providing heat and hot water to the facilities on site.
• Reclaiming heat from on-site sewage treatment and municipal sewage trunk lines.
• Sale of excess heat to nearby businesses.
• Improved building design and operation.

Nexterra’s Clean Energy Gasification System

Description of system – Nexterra will supply a custom built, 2 MW (megawatt) thermal
gasification system that will convert locally sourced wood waste into a clean burning “syngas”.  This synthetic gas will be used to produce the energy required to provide domestic heating and hot water throughout Dockside’s residential and commercial buildings. The gasification system will have ultra low emissions with no dust, and will significantly reduce GHG emissions.

Gasification is a thermo-chemical process that uses heat to convert any carbon-containing fuel into a clean-burning gas, commonly referred to as “syngas”. Gasification differs from combustion because it uses just 20 to 30 per cent of the air or oxygen needed for complete fuel combustion. During gasification, the amount of air supplied to the gasifier is carefully controlled so that only a small portion of the fuel burns completely. This “starved air” combustion process provides sufficient heat to pyrolyze and chemically break down the balance of the fuel into clean syngas that can be used just like natural gas. The syngas is then burned in a boiler. Hot water from the boiler is transported by an underground pipe to provide heat and hot water for Dockside residential and commercial buildings.

What are the advantages of gasification over conventional combustion?

Nexterra systems are based on gasification technology that is simpler in design, more flexible, lower cost and produces lower emissions than other gasification technologies and conventional combustion equipment. These attributes make this technology ideally suited for “inside-the fence” thermal applications.

What is biomass and why is it considered greenhouse gas neutral?

Biomass is defined as materials derived from sources of either living organisms or
metabolic by-products. Typical biomass supply is derived from:

• Woody - mill or pulp and paper residues, forest residue and short rotation crops.
• Non-woody - agricultural crops, crop residue, processing residues.
• Other organic waste - animal waste such as manure from feed lots, municipal solid
  waste and industrial wastes.

As plants grow, they absorb carbon dioxide (Co2). When they decompose naturally, they
return the Co2 to the atmosphere in an on-going and renewable cycle. When biomass is
used as a fuel for gasification or other processes, it is considered GHG-neutral because
the Co2 it emits as a fuel is equal to the Co2 it took in while growing and would release if
it decomposed naturally.

What will Dockside Green’s gasification unit use for biomass fuel?

Nexterra’s gasification system will use locally sourced waste wood that will include clean, recycled wood construction materials and/or wood from municipal tree trimming. The efficiency of the Nexterra system means that only 3,000 tonnes of waste wood will be needed annually to meet the heating needs of Dockside Green.

What will Nexterra’s gasifier system look like on-site?

Nexterra’s gasification plant will be housed in a, small architecturally designed and aesthetically pleasing building that will fit in with its surroundings. The system produces no odour, little noise and very low particulate emissions (20 mg/scm).

What are the savings in terms of reduced greenhouse gas emissions?

Building more energy-efficient buildings and switching from natural gas heating to heating with syngas produced from biomass wood waste will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5245.5 tonnes per year. A portion of this reduction will be realized by selling excess heat to nearby entities.

How much does it cost to install?

Between $6 million and $8 million.

How many other residential projects are using this technology?

This is the first residential project in North America to use this technology.

Dockside Green’s Integrated Energy System

Dockside Green is taking a systems approach that encompasses clean energy, waste,
water and resource use and management.

All Dockside Green buildings will perform at least 50 per cent better than the Canadian
Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB).

• Over 70 million gallons of water will be saved from the development each year through the sewage treatment plant and water conservation measures. That is equivalent to Victoria’s entire water use on the driest day of the year.
• The building design will use concrete with 35 to 40 per cent fly ash content. It is estimated that one tonne of cement generates, on average, one tonne of carbon dioxide emissions.  Replacing cement content with fly ash (a by-product of coal-fired electricity generation) reduces the emissions from the use of concrete by about 40 per cent for the development.
• Potable water use will be approximately 75 per cent and 60 per cent lower for commercial/office and residential uses respectively by using efficient water fixtures and reusing treated water.
• Stormwater will be treated and the rate and quantity post-development conditions will not exceed the 1.5-24 hour rain event predevelopment conditions both from the building sites and the overall site.
• Dockside will strive to use local materials and products in the development. This will result in significant GHG emissions reduction due to transportation of materials.
• A construction waste management plan will ensure reduction of construction waste going to the landfill. The goal of Dockside is to divert 75 to 95 per cent of construction waste from the landfill. Strategies used include identifying salvage and recycling opportunities, involving haulers and processors of recyclables and potential markets for salvaged materials, reduction in material used.
• Alternative transportation strategies will reduce GHG emissions.

Contact:
Christine Gleed, Tartan Group, 250.896.3844 (cell)
Raymond McAllister, Nexterra Energy Corp. 604-637-2507 (office)
Trisha Lees, Tartan Group, 250-896-3838 (cell)

Technical background final