What if we could heat buildings using our organic waste?

Yes, if it’s produced from a renewable source. There are five main sources of renewable energy: the sun, wind, water, the earth (geothermal energy) and organic matter. Organic waste is used in the case of renewable natural gas (RNG) purchased by Énergir. Things like table scraps, wastewater, manure and agricultural slurry all have very short renewal cycles.

Énergir is working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of the natural gas it distributes, and believes that RNG is one of the ways to get there. Energir’s regulatory target is to distribute 5% of RNG to its network in fiscal 2026–2027 as a replacement for fossil natural gas. To ensure the distribution of growing volumes, Énergir is sourcing from various North American producers, including a growing number in Quebec. Quebec’s RNG industry has the potential to go much further, and our teams are working hard to mobilize all the players involved in its development.

Our wish is to get the full value out of every food item. However, we are aware that no matter how hard we try to reduce food waste, certain organic materials such as pits, scales and some skins and peels will never be eaten. With renewable natural gas, we want to reuse the organic matter that ends up brown bins to give it a second life bursting with energy.

Énergir firmly believes that making complementary use of a variety of energy sources is an effective way of reducing greenhouse gases from fossil sources. As we always say, you need the right energy in the right place!

That’s why we’re using renewable natural gas to decarbonize energy uses that are difficult to electrify. This is particularly the case when a flame is required in an industrial process, or to heat buildings in areas where electrical capacity is saturated.

To meet regulatory targets for RNG, Énergir sources most of its RNG from producers in the USA. It is working to increase its supply from producers in Quebec.

The quantity of RNG purchased by Énergir from each producer is injected by the latter into the gas network of the region where the producer is located. It can therefore be injected into the gas network of Énergir or another distributor in North America, and then mixed with the fossil natural gas circulating in the same gas network. So, as with its fossil natural gas supply or electricity supply, once the purchased energy is injected into the gas or electricity grid, it is not possible to track the gas molecule or electron. The gas molecule or electron is consumed by the various users connected to these networks.

The quantity of RNG purchased by Énergir reduces the quantity of fossil natural gas that Énergir buys as part of its overall supply.

Since the RNG and fossil natural gas molecules flow through the same gas network and are mixed together indistinguishably, Énergir has a verification body conduct an annual verification to ensure that its total annual supply from RNG producers is at least equal to the quantity of RNG purchased by all its customers and that the RNG purchased is 100% organic (and does not include any fossil molecules).

For more information, see the question “What ensures that the amount of RNG I voluntarily purchased is correctly attributed to my home?”

RNG combustion is not emission-free; it generates GHG emissions (CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O) just like the combustion of fossil natural gas. CO₂ is the main GHG that is generated (over 99% of combustion emissions). For RNG, though, the CO₂ emissions from its combustion are said to be biogenic because they come from biomass. Biogenic CO₂ emissions are not generally targeted by climate change objectives, unlike emissions from the combustion of fossil natural gas. Although CO₂ from the combustion of fossil natural gas can be reabsorbed by biomass during photosynthesis, burning fossil natural gas releases CO₂ that has been sequestered for millions of years in geological formations and results in a net addition of CO₂ to the atmosphere. In contrast, the CO₂ released into the atmosphere from RNG combustion (biogenic CO₂) was sequestered in organic matter (food waste, manure, wastewater, etc.), which renews much more rapidly, on a scale ranging from a few months to a few years. The biogenic CO₂ was present in the atmosphere, was absorbed by organic residues and could be again re-emitted into the atmosphere. Biogenic CO₂ is therefore part of the short carbon cycle. The actual effect of biogenic CO₂ emissions from RNG combustion on the climate depends on a number of factors, including the biomass source and production processes. RNG sold by Énergir to its customers is produced from organic waste and has not led to significant changes in land use.