Township of Warwick Mayor Todd Case, elected officials and Waste Management representatives at a ground-breaking ceremony for the Twin Creeks Environmental Centre expansion project (Photo by: Waste Management) Township of Warwick Mayor Todd Case, elected officials and Waste Management representatives at a ground-breaking ceremony for the Twin Creeks Environmental Centre expansion project (Photo by: Waste Management)
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Construction starts at Watford landfill natural gas facility

Construction of the Twin Creeks Environmental Centre Optimization project in Warwick Township is underway.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held in February.

In June, Waste Management (WM) announced a renewable natural gas (RNG) infrastructure would be built and the facility, and will convert landfill gas into pipeline-quality gas for the nearby commercial transmission and distribution network.

The Twin Creeks RNG facility is estimated to produce approximately two million British thermal units (MMBtu) of renewable natural gas per year, which could create enough energy to heat around 35,000 homes in the province.

Senior Communications Manager Jessica Kropf called it exciting news.

"(Waste Management) continues to invest heavily in projects relating to the beneficial use of landfill gas. We invite the local community to be a part of the Twin Creeks Environmental Centre and hope this is something that our stakeholders can be proud of," she said.

She said the fuel will be accessible by many commercial and industrial entities.

"(Waste Management) believes this will potentially help assist them with their environmental and emissions targets and the acceleration of clean manufacturing mandates," Kropf said.

The project is being welcomed by Warwick Township Mayor Todd Case because of how it's helping the local environment.

He said this will reduce the amount of landfill methane within the community.

"This gives us the opportunity for cleaner air around our community, so that is the major benefit that this is environmentally very sound," he said. "There will also be some benefits through the Community Commitment Fund as we go on."

Case feels like there is also a negative side to the project as well.

He said that Warwick Township is underserviced from natural gas and that he would like to see it being used in the community. 

"That's the ironic part, we do have a shortage in our community and it seems a bit ridiculous that this natural gas is being produced and some of it is not staying in our  community, where we are underserviced," Case said.

He added that the Township will not be receiving any of the natural gas that will be produced at Twin Creeks Environmental Centre.

"As much as we have made the case for that to happen, unfortunately it will not," Case said.

He also said the province needs to find a way to get natural gas into the community one way or another.

The facility is expected to be completed in early 2025. 

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