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Cogeneration Plant to be built on Hospital site

North Bay Regional Health Centre VP of Corporate Sales and Support Services addresses the media about the new Cogeneration power plant which is expected to be online within a year. PHOTO BY CHRIS DAWSON.

North Bay Regional Health Centre VP of Corporate Sales and Support Services addresses the media about the new Cogeneration power plant which is expected to be online within a year.  PHOTO BY CHRIS DAWSON.

The North Bay Regional Health Centre has given the green light to the construction and operation of a new, state of the art, Cogeneration Power Plant Project.

In partnership with North Bay Hydro Services, North Bay Hydro Distribution Ltd., Plenary Group and Johnson Controls, plans to build a cogeneration plant on the premises of the North Bay Regional Health Centre are underway.

The announcement was made Wednesday morning at a press conference at the hospital.  

The Cogeneration concept has been in the proposal stage for about four years and was recently passed by the North Bay Regional Health Centre Board of Directors.

Officials say the 6 million dollar plant will be operational for over 20 years and major equipment will be ordered this week with construction to be completed in the fall of 2015.

Due to the partnership with North Bay Hydro, the project is eligible for $2.4M in incentives through North Bay Hydro’s conservation programs. 

How it Works

Cogeneration is using one fuel (Natural Gas) to produce 2 outputs – electricity and hot water. Natural gas is burned in a large engine, similar to the Merrick Landfill Methane project, which spins a generator, producing electricity. Heat is recovered from the engine, for free, which is used to help meet the hot water needs of the hospital, such as space heating, hot water for cooking and cleaning.

To put into perspective the magnitude of this project, energy from this plant has the ability to generate enough electricity and heat to supply the energy needs of 1350 homes per year.

Its overall efficiency is excellent as it operates at about 85-90% efficiency range, whereas electricity from a Nuclear Plant is around 30-40%.

Benefits

The benefits to the hospital include more back up power during emergencies, stable and cheaper utility costs as well as new, state of the art infrastructure which will extend the life of existing systems.

In recent emergencies, such as the Toronto Ice Storm, key operations at many hospitals were in jeopardy and had to be closed down.  

With this new power plant, such events would not hinder the overall operation of the hospital as it has the ability to meet 85% of the hospitals power needs. Their current structure only provides up to 40 percent. 

Officials say the new plant will allow the hospital to operate like an off-the-grid island which wouldn't feel the impact of a long term power outage.  

“This is an opportunity for us as a council in North Bay to partner with North Bay Hydro and the hospital to create this win-win situation,” said Mayor Al McDonald. 

“The biggest threat to the city of North Bay is weather related when it comes to emergencies and one thing that we need to have is our hospital up and running if the grid goes down.  The fact that this cogen plant is here, not only will it achieve that, it provides us with the critical piece we need in our emergency planning."  

 


Chris Dawson

About the Author: Chris Dawson

Chris Dawson has been with BayToday.ca since 2004. He has provided up-to-the-minute sports coverage and has become a key member of the BayToday news team.
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