Québec landfill to invest in methane-to-energy system

The Régie des Matières Résiduelles du Lac-Saint-Jean (RMR) and Waga Energy have signed an agreement to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) at the Hébertville-Station Landfill site in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec, Canada.

France-based Waga Energy, which has a Canadian office in Shawinigan, Québec, will supply a Wagabox system to RMR, owner and operator of the Hébertville-Station landfill that serves 50 municipalities in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region and the indigenous Mashteuiatsh community.

The Wagabox converts landfill gas into RNG, which Waga Energy says can serve as a substitute for fossil-based natural gas. The facility to be constructed is expected to produce up to 55 gigawatt hours, or 188,000 MMBtu (million British thermal units), of RNG per year, which Waga calls enough to meet the energy needs of 2,280 households.

By avoiding the release of roughly 10,000 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent annually, the project will help reduce the region’s carbon footprint and advance Québec’s climate goals, adds Waga.

The Hébertville-Station landfill site has an annual capacity of 203,500 metric tons of inbound waste. Once the Wagabox unit is operational in 2026, the landfill gas generated by organic material will be purified injected into a natural gas distribution network operated by Montréal-based utility firm Énergir.

“With this innovative project, the RMR is taking a decisive step toward maximizing the value of residual waste,” says Luc Simard, president of the RMR. “By capturing and transforming landfill gas into RNG, we are directly contributing to Québec’s climate goals while providing a clean energy source.”

Remarks Julie Flynn, CEO of Waga Energy Canada, “I’m thrilled about this collaboration with the RMR Lac-Saint-Jean. Together, we are working toward a more responsible management of landfill gas at the regional landfill of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Our teams have already demonstrated their expertise with three projects in Québec and the ongoing construction in British Columbia. This new project reaffirms the attractiveness of our Wagabox technology and our commitment to supporting landfill operators in their transition efforts.”

The feasibility study for the project received CAD$300,000 in funding from Québec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy, a fund designed to support measures under the province’s 2030 Green Economy Plan to combat climate change. That plan includes a target to integrate 10 percent RNG into the Québec natural gas network by 2030.

This is Waga Energy’s fifth landfill gas or biomethane project in Canada. Three units are already operational in Québec with another under construction in British Columbia.