Today was an important day for the future of clean energy in Toronto and across Canada, as Enwave Energy Corporation celebrated the groundbreaking of a new low-carbon heating facility to be built as an extension of the company’s Pearl Street Energy Center in Toronto’s downtown core. As the creator and operator of Toronto’s sprawling district energy grid, the low-carbon heating facility will enable Enwave to expand its clean energy grid, bring “green heat” to more of Toronto’s downtown area and lead the way to decarbonizing the building sector.
Enwave has officially broken ground on a new low-carbon heating facility on the site of their existing energy center in downtown Toronto, image by Matias Bessai
After introductory comments from Carlyle Coutinho, CEO of Enwave Energy Corporation, Ontario Secretary of Energy Todd Smith took the podium to discuss what this project means for the province. “First, let me say what a pleasure it is to be here with the team from Enwave and Canada Infrastructure Bank for today’s groundbreaking,” said Smith. “This is a great Made in Ontario story set right here in downtown Toronto.”
The minister further explained that the province is actively developing the infrastructure to provide clean energy for a population that is expected to grow by over 2 million by the end of the decade. “From generation to transmission to distribution, we’re executing our plan to build the infrastructure we need for the future, and we’re doing it from a strong starting point,” Smith said. “I’m proud of the strides Ontario is making as a clean energy leader and excited to see companies like Enwave developing solutions that will reduce the need for electricity grids.”
Ontario Secretary of Energy Todd Smith speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony, photo by Matias Bessai
Minister Smith’s statement was followed by words from Sashen Guneratna, Managing Director of Investments at Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), who provided Enwave with a $600 million loan to partially fund the project. “CIB is an impact investor,” said Guneratna. “We look for projects that help Canadians achieve outcomes that benefit all Canadians. This case is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and we are very excited to invest in this project.” With Guneratna’s comments concluding the speeches, Coutinho and Smith, shovels in hand, joined him on the podium to announce the start of construction of the project to be solemnly marked.
Left to right: Sashen Guneratna, Carlyle Coutinho, Todd Smith mark the start of construction on the project, image by Matias Bessai
The end result of the project will be the creation of a new three-story facility to be built on the site of the existing Pearl Street Energy Center. Located at the northeast corner of Simcoe Street and Pearl Street in the heart of the downtown core, the project envisages the redevelopment of lots currently functioning as surface parking, representing an effective ramp-up effort that will utilize Enwave’s infrastructure in a space-efficient manner improved .
The new facility will house a range of systems that will enable Enwave’s long-distance power grid to generate and distribute ‘green heat’. The primary method of achieving this is by reusing waste heat generated by the operation of other systems, which is then used to heat water that circulates throughout the district. Once the system is up and running, Enwave estimates that CO2 emissions from heating will be reduced by 11,600 tons, equivalent to the reduction if 10 million square feet of office space were converted to net-zero.
The project will construct a new three-story facility on the site of the existing Pearl Street Energy Center, image by Matias Bessai
Speaking face-to-face with Coutinho, he told us a little more about what this project means for Enwave and their goals for delivering clean energy. “Having facilities like this is amazing for the city and the neighborhood, but it also gives us the opportunity to expand and implement this technology in other areas throughout Toronto and throughout Canada and the United States,” he explained.
Additionally, Coutinho believes investments like this help bring developers on board to commit to more impactful sustainability efforts. “The Toronto Green Building Standard poses a major challenge for developers to meet that standard in a heavily congested area of downtown Toronto,” he said. “With our system, we can offer many of our development partners a solution that enables them to meet this standard and makes it easier for them to make the right decisions for the most environmentally friendly construction project possible. ”
The project also includes an overhaul of the Pearl Street Energy Center’s existing exterior, giving the 60-year-old building a contemporary finish that visually expresses what the future of green energy looks like. Enwave anticipates that the project will progress rapidly and intends to open and commission the new facility by the end of 2024.
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