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Stage 2 - Greening the National Capital Region District Energy System (NCR DES)

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Stage 2 - Greening the National Capital Region District Energy System (NCR DES)

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In A Position to be Carbon-neutral by 2030

The objective of ESAP Stage 2 is to lower the NCR DES’ carbon intensity even further and be in position to be carbon neutral by 2030.

A number of pilot projects and feasibility studies are being undertaken to explore new sustainable energy sources that could serve the district energy system.

As part of these Stage 2 studies, a decision was made to use Hydro-Québec’s 99 per cent carbon-neutral electricity – one of the greenest in the world – to replace natural gas as the district energy’s primary energy source. Clean heating and cooling will be generated by the new Gatineau Energy Centre in Gatineau, Québec, and distributed to the numerous buildings connected to the network.

Once in operation in 2026, the modernized system will allow the NCR DES to achieve an impressive 92 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2005 baseline operations.

More studies are underway to identify other sustainable energy solutions to make the entire district energy system in position to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

Expanding the NCR DES to Other Buildings to Tap Into ESAP’s Clean Power

The NCR DES currently serves 80 buildings in Ottawa and Gatineau.

ESAP is working to offer its environmental benefits to others, exploring the possibility of expanding the NCR DES’s network in the National Capital Region (which includes the cores of the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau) and allowing more federal buildings, as well as those other levels of government (provincial and municipal) and from the private sector, to tap into ESAP’s clean power.

Key milestones for Stage 2:
  • 2017-2022 – Pilot projects and feasibility studies*
  • 2021 – Program Approval
  • 2029 – Completion of Deeper Greening Program
  • 2030 – In position to be Carbon-neutral
*The Deeper Greening Program will continue to assess low-carbon energy technologies for deployment within the DES. ESAP is looking to expand the DES in Gatineau and Ottawa.