Bluewater Health is marking the completion of its new combined heat and power plant, expected to save the hospital $500,000 per year.
The plant, which took about two years to build, produces electricity from a natural gas-fired engine, while capturing the heat by-product to re-use within the boiler plant.
Interim Director of Biomedical Engineering Jack Vanderveen said the need for green energy is becoming more important every day.
"We're looking at creative ways to reduce our carbon footprint, which is still a bit of a challenge," said Vanderveen. "We have to be able to produce hot water and steam to take care of our building, both for heating and sterilization. Finding a green way to do that is very difficult. So the combined heat and power plant gives us an opportunity to, while we're making that hot water, also produce our own hydro."
Vanderveen said the plant's capacity is 800 KWH and supplies 60 to 70 per cent of the Sarnia hospital’s power needs.
"There have been a lot of challenges to get this all tied into the building, and it impacted a lot of people as we made those tie-ins," he said. "But, it's been a great experience as far as the collaboration with everyone in the building, the hospital board, and the contractors involved."
The project was initially estimated to cost between $3 million and $5 million.
A $1.2 million incentive was approved by Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator.