Delivering renewable natural gas for the City of Toronto and Enbridge Gas
At a glance
GHD supported the City of Toronto and Enbridge Gas Ontario with the development, permitting, design and construction of a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility at the City’s Disco Road Organics Processing Facility (DROPF). The DROPF repurposed part of a closed landfill site into a clean energy asset, supporting decarbonisation targets and circular economy outcomes. Enbridge Gas working with the City and GHD, provided a turnkey solution covering design, permitting, construction and commissioning of a renewable natural gas asset.
The challenge
The City of Toronto and Enbridge set out to turn organic waste into renewable natural gas for use in vehicle fleets and facilities. Initial work focused on feasibility and pre-design. On behalf of the City, Enbridge Gas would then take the concept and shape it into a functioning facility, developing the scope, budget, schedule and full project execution.
The site itself added complexity. Built on a former landfill, the location presented both environmental constraints and technical challenges, including limited access to electrical power and the need to integrate new systems into an operating organics facility. Our clients also required commissioning support to bring together a mix of supplier systems into one integrated, functional process.
Our response
Drawing on previous experience with early-stage energy projects, GHD worked closely with the City of Toronto and Enbridge Gas to deliver a complete, integrated RNG facility. The team provided all aspects of project development and delivery, including:
- Design: GHD led the pre-design process, balance of plant detailed design, and integration with the existing facility, vendor RNG systems and the Enbridge Gas injection station. The high-efficiency membrane system was selected in order to recover approximately 99 percent of the methane generated by the DROPF, supporting emissions reductions and energy recovery targets.
- Permitting: Coordinated with Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) to advance Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA) for both the existing facilities and new RNG facilities
- Construction: Managed all construction activities including civil, geotechnical, structural, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation and control works
- Commissioning: Served as Commissioning Manager to align multiple vendor components into a single, high-functioning RNG system
The team designed a Passive Gas Management System to manage any residual landfill gas and engineered tailored below-grade works to suit legacy landfill conditions. To meet power constraints, the system was designed for high electrical efficiency.
Throughout delivery, GHD acted as a one-stop solution provider, wrapping scope, schedule, cost management and
coordination into a single point of responsibility. The project was completed on time and on budget.
The impact
The RNG facility is now producing low-carbon fuel from organic waste, reducing the need to flare gas and turning what was once a liability into an energy asset. The City uses the fuel to help power its fleet and heat its buildings, contributing to its net zero goals and circular economy strategy. The City has displaced a significant amount of fossil-derived natural gas with this project as part of a long-term program.
The project also supports resilience by reducing dependence on conventional fuel sources and making productive use of an underutilised legacy site.
To learn more about the City of Toronto’s approach to renewable natural gas, visit: toronto.ca – Renewable Natural Gas.