The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) has approved Varme Energy’s application to build a waste-to-energy facility that will incorporate carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to convert municipal solid waste from Edmonton into electricity.
The decision, issued on 2 May, clears the way for the construction of the Heartland Waste-to-Energy Facility, a 19.6-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Strathcona County, northeast of Edmonton. The $300 million project is scheduled to begin construction in early 2027 and become operational in 2028.
Varme Energy, a subsidiary of Norway-based Varme Energy AS, plans to use the facility to process 150,000 tonnes of Edmonton’s residential waste annually under a contract with the city. The agreement, reached after a competitive bidding process, aims to reduce landfill reliance by diverting waste toward alternative uses.
“This agreement aligns with the city’s objective of reducing landfill reliance,” said Chris Fowler, Edmonton’s acting branch manager of waste services.
Varme CEO Sean Collins said Edmonton was selected in part due to its existing carbon pipeline infrastructure. “One of the reasons we’re so focused on Edmonton is because we have the No. 1 and No. 2 biggest CO₂ pipelines in the world originating out of Edmonton,” Collins told the media.
He added that the facility will burn waste to extract energy and capture the resulting emissions. “You get a landfill-free and carbon-free solution,” he said.
The project design was influenced by European models, where hundreds of waste-to-energy plants are already in operation. Collins noted that the inclusion of carbon capture from the outset sets this project apart.
Amit Kumar, an environmental engineering researcher at the University of Alberta, said the facility could serve as a model for other Canadian municipalities. “Municipal solid waste is a challenge for all communities. This could be one of the test cases in how successfully this is run,” he said.
The AUC issued a notice of application for the project on 7 March before granting approval in May. The facility is expected to begin processing waste by 2028.
