The Zibi Community Utility positions the
region as a leader in combating climate change
OTTAWA, Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - 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 (TSX:DRM), Dream
Hard Asset Alternatives Trust (TSX:DRA.UN), 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.
For more details, view the media backgrounder.
Zibi, a model of innovation
In addition to introducing district energy, a creative
partnership with telecom company Beanfield will use the energy
system pipe corridors to lay infrastructure for their fibre-optic
network and offer 1Gbps symmetrical upload and download speeds
delivered over a dedicated fibre connection. Through this
partnership, reliable and affordable Internet, Phone, and TV
services will be provided to all Zibi residents and businesses, as
well as free wifi in public spaces, making Zibi one of Canada's
most technologically advanced communities.
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.
About Zibi
Zibi is a 13.7-hectare (34-acre)
waterfront community carefully designed by Dream Unlimited Corp and
Theia Partners. It is a borderless neighbourhood, connecting the
cities of Gatineau and Ottawa,
where more than 5,000 people will live and 6,000 people will work,
and containing three hectares (eight acres) of riverside parks and
public squares, and more than one million square feet of commercial
space. It is one of the most sustainable communities in the world,
and the first in Canada to receive
One Planet Living certification, a
global framework developed by Bioregional and the World Wildlife
Fund. www.zibi.ca
About Dream Unlimited Corp.
Dream (TSX:DRM) is one of
Canada's leading real estate companies with approximately
$8 billion of assets under management
in North America and Europe. The scope of the business includes
residential land development, housing and condominium development,
retail and commercial development, asset management for three
TSX-listed trusts; including Dream Hard Asset Alternatives Trust
(TSX:DRA.UN) and commercial property ownership. Dream has an
established track record for being innovative and for its ability
to source, structure and execute on compelling investment
opportunities. For more information please
visit: www.dream.ca.
About THEIA Partners
Theia Partners is a development
agency that has health, wellness and sustainability at the very
core of its DNA. They are passionate about creating communities in
which living your happiest and healthiest life is hard-wired. Where
you get the chance to know your neighbours through smart design and
where sustainability is carefully woven into the urban
fabric. THEIA and its partners have been instrumental in
developing several of Canada's first LEED Platinum buildings across
Canada.
About Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.
Hydro Ottawa Holding
Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company 100 per cent owned by the
City of Ottawa and whose core
businesses are electricity distribution, renewable energy
generation, and energy and utility services. Hydro Ottawa owns and operates three primary
subsidiary companies: Hydro Ottawa Limited – delivering electricity
to more than 340,000 customers in the City of Ottawa and the Village of Casselman; Portage Power – the
largest Ontario-based
municipally-owned producer of green power that has over 128
megawatts of installed green generation capacity – enough to power
107,000 homes; and Envari – an energy solutions company offering
products and services that help reduce energy consumption and costs
for municipalities, industrial and commercial clients, and various
local distribution companies.
About Kruger Products L.P.
Kruger Products L.P. has
approximately 2,500 employees, including 400 workers at the
Gatineau Plant, and operates eight FSC® (FSC®-C104904) certified
plants in North America.
(www.krugerproducts.ca). In 2019, Kruger Products ranked 10th among
Corporate Knights' 2019 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. It also made the 2019 Canada's Best
Managed Companies list and appeared on Forbes Canada's Best Employers list.
About Beanfield Metroconnect
Beanfield is a
telecommunications company unlike the rest. We recognize the
importance of connecting communities and the people within them,
and we do this without sacrificing outstanding customer support and
superior services. At Beanfield, it's about building communities,
not just networks.
Beanfield builds, owns and operates the largest independent
fibre-optic network in Toronto and
Montreal, connecting over 2,800
commercial and residential buildings, with recent expansion into
Ottawa. All of our construction,
installation, and customer experience teams are in-house, giving
you the most efficient and streamlined experience possible, because
we believe that's How it Should Be. www.beanfield.com
SOURCE Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.