A new partnership between Zibi, Hydro Ottawa and Kruger Products will put the National Capital Region on the map as a leader in combating climate change through the substantial reduction of carbon emissions using district energy for heating and cooling in the Zibi community, which is being developed by Dream Unlimited Corp, Dream Hard Asset Alternatives Trust and THEIA Partners.

The Zibi Community Utility is a District Energy System relying on effluent energy recovery from Kruger Products’ Gatineau Plant for heating, and the Ottawa River for cooling. The system, developed by Zibi, will provide zero carbon heating and cooling for all Zibi tenants and residents in the 34-acre waterfront city. Zibi residents and tenants will be able to take pride in living and working in one of Canada’s most sustainable communities, and realize energy savings by using a temperature controlling application on their mobile devices.

This innovative system – the first in North America to use post-industrial waste heat recovery in a master-planned community – will make Zibi the region’s first zero-carbon-emission community.

How the system works

When completed, all 4 million square feet of residential and commercial buildings at Zibi will be interconnected through a hydronic loop that will deliver heating and cooling energy. A first in North America, low-grade heat from effluents will be recovered from the end of the tissue-making process from the neighbouring Kruger Products’ Gatineau tissue plant and injected into the new central energy plant. In the summer, heat will be rejected through chillers into the Ottawa River to efficiently produce chilled water to cool the buildings.

When it first comes online in 2021, the Zibi Community Utility plant, located on the lower level of a residential building on the Gatineau side, will be accessible to residents and visitors to allow them see the operations and learn about the innovative technology.

A partnership that works for all

This partnership is a first in the region, creating a model for zero-carbon district energy, and helping both the City of Ottawa and la Ville de Gatineau meet their climate goals.

Through this partnership, Hydro Ottawa provides more than 100 years of trusted utility experience and will work to integrate innovative clean energy solutions into the Zibi project in support of the group’s One Planet Action Plan, which focuses on zero-carbon and zero-waste development, among other sustainable benefits.

QUOTES

“The Zibi Community Utility district energy system is a cornerstone in our plans to meet our One Planet sustainability goals. We are grateful to our partners at Hydro Ottawa and Kruger Products for helping us develop an innovative solution that not only enables us to meet our zero-carbon goals but puts Ottawa and Gatineau on the map as leaders in combating climate change.” – Jeff Westeinde, President, Zibi

“Zibi’s district energy system is a testament to the power of connection – through partnership, innovation, and a desire to create a future far more sustainable than the past. At Hydro Ottawa, we believe it’s our responsibility to be the change-makers necessary to help build a smart energy future for the Nation’s Capital. By adopting a futurist perspective, we’ve elevated our business lines, products and strategies to meet our community’s environmental expectations and energy needs.” – Bryce Conrad, President and CEO, Hydro Ottawa.

“Kruger Products’ involvement with the Zibi Community Utility, through effluent energy recovery from our Gatineau Plant, is yet another example of our commitment to our community, our employees, our suppliers and our customers to always look for innovative ways to reduce our environmental footprint and to make our operations more sustainable. As Canada’s leading manufacturer and distributor of quality tissue products for household, industrial and commercial use, sustainability is at the core of what we do and as such, we are proud to partner with Zibi and Hydro Ottawa in this promising project, which will have a positive impact in the National Capital Region.” – Stéphane Lamoureux, Vice President, Operations – Special Projects, Kruger Products.