The City of Oshawa and Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation Energy Services (OPUCES) has announced that a 600-kW combined heat and power plant will be installed at Delpark Homes Centre, a recreation centre featuring ice rinks, a swimming pool, a fitness centre and an indoor track. The power plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2020, and will be owned, operated and maintained by OPUCES.

The combined heat and power plant will be fueled by natural gas and will generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. The new system will help the city achieve energy efficiency goals, save heating and cooling costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It will also help the recreation facility generate its own backup heat and electricity in the event of a power outage.

“By investing in a combined heat and power plant that will help provide backup electricity at Delpark Homes Centre that is both clean, cost-effective and good for the environment, OPUCES is helping strengthen our community resilience,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “This is another innovative approach from the City’s energy partner aimed at reducing demand on our electricity system that will result in bottom line savings for many years to come.”

The project is aligned with Oshawa’s ongoing energy efficiency initiatives, outlined in the city’s Corporate Facilities Energy Management Plan.

The system is expected to reduce Delpark Home Centre’s demand on the grid by approximately 3,700 MWh per year. Over the lifetime of the project, it will take the equivalent of about 4,000 homes off the grid.