Work continues on a system that would see thermal energy in the form of hot water distributed to multiple uptown Saint John buildings.
Saint John’s first District Energy System will connect the Hilton and the Canada Games Aquatic Centre to Market Square’s heating and cooling system.
Samir Yammine, the city’s director of asset management and environmental performance, provided an update to council on Monday night.
Yammine said the chillers at Market Square have been upgraded, along with the heating and cooling plant control systems.
He said the connection to the Hilton has been completed, while the thermal connection to the Aquatic Centre will be done by March 31, 2024.
“We are taking the waste energy, we can reroute it and distribute it to the Canada Games Aquatic Centre to pre-heat our pool area and domestic hot water,” said Yammine.
Yammine said the total price tag came in “way below” what they expected at around $2.4 million.
Saint John has received more than $1.7 million in grants to cover about 75 per cent of the cost, with the city footing the bill for the remaining 25 per cent, or nearly $647,000.
The district energy system, according to Yammine, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 502 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“It’s like removing 110 cars from the road or equivalent to 81 residential houses, so this is a big number,” he said.
Yammine says the system will also see the Aquatic Centre become carbon neutral within the next five years.
Total savings to date have added up to around $186,000, said Yammine, adding the city’s contribution will be recovered within three-and-a-half years.
Meanwhile, the city is also working on a longer-term feasibility study, which is expected to cost around $900,000.
It includes developing a city-wide map and preliminary pipe network to identify and establish 20 to 30 zones for possible district energy system development.
The study will also involve in-building mechanical assessments of the largest 40 to 50 buildings in uptown Saint John to plan the district energy connections and building heating system integration.
Council approved on Monday a $360,000 contribution from the province toward the feasibility study.
Saint John has committed to reducing corporate greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2025 and to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
