Western receives $4.7 million to replace natural gas boiler with electric steam boiler

Western's power plant produces high-pressure steam for heating and hot water across campus and at University Hospital. One of the university's five natural gas boilers will be replaced with an electric version. (Western University)

London, Ont.’s Western University will receive $4.7 million in federal funding to replace one of its aging natural gas boilers with a new electric steam boiler, a decision the university said will help reduce carbon emissions and continue to provide its campus with steam.

According to a release, Filomena Tassi, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario announced on behalf of Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, an investment of approximately $9 million towards three Ontario universities on Wednesday.

The universities will use the funding to undertake infrastructure improvements “that directly tackle carbon emissions across their campuses.”

The project will cut over 35,000 tonnes of emissions in 2023, according to the release.

London’s Western University is one of the recipients, and will receive $4,745,000 for a four-year project to replace one of its natural gas boilers with an electric steam boiler.

“As we transition to a low-carbon world, we are empowering Western to continue leading the way in fighting climate change. This project also brings London one step closer to meeting its commitment to reduce emissions across the city by 55 per cent from 2005 levels, and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” said Peter Fragiskatos, MP for London North Centre in the release.

According to Western, the boilers produce high-pressure steam that heats buildings on campus and provides hot water for kitchens and laboratories. The steam produced also supplies University Hospital.

Installed in 1963, Western’s five boilers produce 300 million kilograms of steam per year. The system, which uses natural gas, is “responsible for 75 per cent of the university’s carbon emissions.”

When complete, the new electric boiler will produce approximately 40 per cent of Western’s steam, or about 120 million kilograms annually.

The total budget for the project is $16 million, and installation is planned to start in 2024.

“This is a 60-year-old boiler we’re looking to decommission. Anywhere we have that ability to replace aging infrastructure in a way that’s also aligned with our carbon reduction goals, it’s a win-win,” said Andrew Konowalchuk, associate vice-president of facilities management.

Also receiving federal funds are McMaster University in Hamilton and York University in Toronto.

The funds are through the Decarbonization Incentive Program, in which the government returns a portion of the proceeds collected from the federal pollution price on large industrial emitters to support clean energy projects.