Connecting WM's RNG production complex in Sainte-Sophie to the existing gas network
WM, North America's largest waste management company, and Énergir are collaborating on the largest renewable natural gas (RNG) production project to date in Quebec.
Once purified, all the biogas extracted from WM's Sainte-Sophie landfill and biomethanization plant will be injected into Énergir's gas network through a dedicated 10 km pipeline connecting WM's facilities to the network in Mirabel.
This project benefits from $14,708,040 in financial assistance from the ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie, as part of the Programme de soutien à la production de gaz naturel renouvelable (PSPGNR), which comes from the Fonds d’électrification et de changements climatiques, a special fund entirely dedicated to addressing climate change, enabling the implementation of the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy.
Important messages!
Construction of the renewable natural gas pipeline and infrastructure to connect WM's facilities will begin in September and continue until early winter. Keep up to date with construction progress by subscribing to our mailing list by clicking here.
The project at a glance
Ultimately, the projects will inject up to 68 million cubic meters of RNG into Énergir's network. The RNG from WM's Sainte-Sophie facility will thus make a significant contribution to achieving the government's and Énergir's target of distributing 5% RNG in the gas network by 2025.
The WM and Énergir projects could also significantly reduce Quebec’s fossil GHG emissions by nearly 129,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, by replacing traditional natural gas.
The projects involve the construction of a plant to process biogas from the technical landfill and the biomethanizer to refine it into RNG, a 10 km high-pressure pipeline and an injection station to connect WM's facilities to the existing gas network.
To keep on schedule, workers will be on site Monday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Soils will be restored to their original state as work progresses, but depending on weather conditions, it is possible that part of the restoration will be postponed until spring 2025.
Although the vast majority of the worksite is located away from traffic lanes and residences, considerable efforts are being made to mitigate impacts on local residents.
Preliminary schedule
Tree removal / Site mobilization / Materials reception | September 2024 |
Excavation / Welding and pipeline installation | October and november 2024 |
Hydrostatic testing / Commissioning | December 2024 |
Site restoration | Spring 2025 |
Project route
Required infrastructure
RNG injection station
- Will be used to inject RNG produced by WM into the existing gas network
- Will be located on the WM site in Sainte-Sophie
Transmission line
- Distance: Approximately 10 km
- Pressure: High pressure (approximately 7,000 kPa)
- Diameter: 6 inches
- Materials: Steel
- Installed in a dedicated easement
Preliminary schedule
Milestones | Date |
Signing of the agreement between WM and Énergir | Early 2022 |
Submission of the project notice to the MELCCFP, triggering its environmental impact assessment and review procedure | May 2022 |
Submission of the impact assessment statement | December 2022 |
BAPE public information period | September 18th to October 10th, 2023 |
BAPE public information session | October 3rd, 2023 |
BAPE public hearings | December 4th, 2023 to April 4th, 2024 |
Approval by the Régie de l’énergie | June 2024 |
Government project authorization | July 2024 |
Énergir’s permitting process | August 2024 |
Mobilization for the pipeline’s construction | September 2024 |
Commissioning of the pipeline | December 2024 |
Injection of RNG | 2025 |
Authorizations
The construction of the connection was subject to rigorous and thorough examination by various regulatory bodies:
- Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (Decision 440749)
- Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (Report 373)
- Régie de l'énergie (Dossier: D-2024-053)
- Government of Quebec ( Order-in-Council 1042-2024)
- Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (To come)
Environmental impact assessment and review procedure
In compliance with the process set out in the la Loi sur la qualité de l’environnement, Énergir submitted the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) in December 2022.
The Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) was then mandated to hold a public hearing, following which the BAPE commission concluded in its report that the project should be authorized. (Read the BAPE report)
After analyzing the BAPE and MELCCFP reports, and following the Minister's recommendation, the Quebec government authorized the project by decree (Order-in-Council 1042-2024, July 3, 2024).
Community’s information and consultation process
From the beginning of the project, we wanted to make information on the project accessible in order to understand the concerns of the community regarding the project in order to consider them throughout the development.
Information activity and consultation | Date |
Meetings with potentially affected collaborators | Spring 2022 |
Online information session for affected landowners | May 2022 |
Public announcement of the project | June 2022 |
MELCCFP public consultation | July 2022 |
Meetings and discussions with affected landowners | Summer 2022 |
Multiple meetings: landowners, socio-economical groups, indigenous community | Fall 2022 |
Meeting and discussions regarding the environmental impacts assessment results | Winter 2023 |
Discussions regarding the project’s mitigation measures and compensations | Spring 2023 |
Information session (open doors) for citizens | June 2023 |
BAPE public information session | October 3 2023 |
BAPE’s public hearings
| December 5-6, 2023 January 16-17th, 2024 |
Informing local residents of work schedules | Summer 2024 |
Ongoing information to local communities about the work in progress | Summer/Fall 2024 |
Renewable natural gas
Learn more about renewable natural gas, a cornerstone of our commitment to decarbonizing the energy distributed in our gas network and reducing Quebec’s GHG emissions.
Contact us for any questions or comments
Énergir is committed to keeping the public and anyone affected by the project informed. Send you questions and comments to us at any time, and we will get back to you quickly.