By Alexandre Pappas



Simon Fraser University has completed negotiations with Corix Multi-Utility Services Inc. to finance, design, construct, own and operate a new Central Energy Plant (CEP).



The CEP, a biomass heating plant that burns organic materials, will service SFU’s Burnaby Campus and the UniverCity community on Burnaby Mountain. At build-out, the plant is expected to reduce campus greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from heating by 85 per cent, and reduce SFU’s GHG emissions from all sources by 69 per cent.



SFU Chief Facilities Officer Larry Waddell says such emission reductions surpass the provincially mandated GHG reduction targets for 2020 and set the University on the path to achieving B.C.’s 2050 reduction target while becoming a public-sector leader in reducing GHG emissions in Canada.



As a model for practical and affordable sustainability, the CEP is proving to be a cost-effective, long-term and environmentally responsible alternative energy system. It uses biomass fuel made of organic materials, including uncontaminated wood waste such as wood chips, shavings and sawdust.



"We're moving to get ahead of the curve when it comes to greenhouse gas reduction," says Martin Pochurko, vice-president, finance and administration. "It's important that, as Canada's most community-engaged university, we are always driving innovation and excellence on our campuses and within the communities we serve."

