Everybody loves cogeneration, but it continues to have trouble taking off in Ontario. Over the past several years, the Ontario Power Authority observes that it has conducted three procurements for CHP projects, which have resulted in contracts for more than 450 MW of capacity. However, its most recent CHP IV resulted in no contracts. Its current small scale CHPSOP program, which began accepting applications on May 6, 2011, has so far approved only 5.9 MW of capacity, out of a target of 150 MW. See “CHPSOP contracts taking longer than expected,” in IPPSO FACTO, February 2012.
The above refers to the results of programs explicitly directed at CHP procurement. Including other contracts, the OPA counts about 972 MW of non-renewable CHP contracts as of third quarter 2011, of which 966 MW are in commercial operation, with just 6 MW in still development. See table below.
There are many explanations as to why the recent CHP procurements have not been more fruitful. No doubt the OPA has difficulty with the relatively high capital costs that are typically associated with the most efficient projects. Some feel it is necessary for the OPA to be given a mandate to place an explicit monetary value on heat. (The OPA notes that it currently values the heat in the heat rate submitted and it is implicitly part of the evaluation.) Other challenges include the difficulty of securing connection capacity when there are so many renewable power projects looking for connection capacity as a result of the Feed-in Tariff Program. Some observers believe that the site-specific nature of CHP projects means that the sector is better suited to procurement through bilateral negotiations, rather than through broad-based RFPs or standard offer programs.
Combined Heat & Power facilities in Ontario, under contract with the Ontario Power Authority, as of Q3 2011
In Commercial Operation
| Name of operation
| Capacity, MW
| Technology and steam host
| In-service date
| Location
|
| Durham College District Energy
| 2.3
| Single natural gas-fired, low NOx reciprocating engine-generator set with an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger. Hot water and behind the meter electricity for local institutional host.
| March 11, 2008
| Oshawa
|
| East Windsor Cogeneration Centre
| 84.0
| Two gas turbine generator packages and two once-through heat recovery steam generators supplying electricity and steam for local industrial host
| November 6, 2009
| Windsor
|
| Essar Cogeneration Facility
| 63.0
| Two industrial by-product gas driven, low NOx industrial by-product gas boilers feeding a single condensing steam turbine, providing high pressure steam and electricity for steel manufacturing operations.
| June 13, 2009
| Sault Ste. Marie
|
| Great Northern Tri-Gen Facility
| 11.3
| Four reciprocating gas engine generating units with selective catalytic reducer (SCR) emission controls, providing electricity generation, hot water and carbon dioxide to local host (greenhouse)
| October 31, 2008
| Kingsville
|
| GTAA Cogeneration Plant
| 90.0
| Two Natural gas-fired, combined cycle GE LM6000PD combustion turbines
| February 1, 2006
| Mississauga
|
| London Cogeneration Facility
| 12
| One natural gas turbine generator set, with a heat recovery steam generator equipped with supplementary firing capability, providing steam to local commercial, government and residential buildings
| December 31, 2008
| London
|
| Sarnia Regional Cogeneration Plant
| 444.0
| Three Alstom gas turbines, two Alstom steam turbines and
| January 1, 2006 (OPA contract commencement)
| Sarnia
|
| Sudbury District Energy Cogeneration Plant
| 5.0
| Two Caterpillar G3612 natural gas generators. The plant produces 4.4 MW of thermal energy in the form of steam for seven different steam hosts in downtown Sudbury.
| OPA contract commencement on January 1, 2006
| Sudbury
|
| Sudbury District Energy Hospital Cogeneration
| 6.7
| Two Caterpillar G3616 natural gas generator set packages. The plant produces 6 MW of thermal energy in the form of steam to heat and cool the Sudbury Regional Hospital, in Sudbury
| OPA contract commencement on January 1, 2006
| Sudbury
|
| Thorold Cogeneration Project
| 236.4
| One GE 7FA gas turbine generator with low NOx burner
| March 28, 2010
| Thorold
|
| Trent Valley Cogeneration Plant
| 6.7
| One Solar Taurus 70 combustion turbine generator package fuelled by natural gas, one HRSG equipped with a supplementary natural gas-fired duct burner, one Caterpillar 3412TA standby generator. 115,000 lbs/hr of thermal energy in the form of steam for a paper mill.
| Commercial operation in November, 2000. OPA contract from January 1 2006
| Trenton
|
| Warden Energy Centre
| 5.0
| Two low-emission reciprocating engine, natural gas generator sets. Thermal energy used to heat and cool the Markham downtown core, with commercial, residential and institutional buildings.
| June 4, 2008
| Markham
|
Under Development and Construction
| Birchmount Energy Centre
| 2.6
| A single gas-fired reciprocating engine-generator set with an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger. Domestic hot water to buildings served by the Markham Centre District Energy System,
| Target: September 6, 2014
| Markham
|
| Bur Oak Energy Centre
| 3.3
| A single gas-fired reciprocating engine-generator set with an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger. Thermal energy to several buildings in the area.
| Target: September 6, 2014
| Markham
|
Source: OPA