About Us
Rimrock Renewables LP (Rimrock) is a partnership between Tidewater Renewables Ltd. (Tidewater) and Korova Feeders Ltd. (Korova) to build the Biodigester Facility adjacent to Rimrock Feeders west of High River, Alberta.
As leaders in their respective industries each partner understands the responsibility to support Albertan, Canadian, and global efforts to combat climate change. Rimrock strives to become a national, eventually global, leader in sustainable food and energy solutions. By creating this unique partnership Rimrock aligned the goals of two of Alberta’s largest industries, agriculture and energy, to spearhead the development of renewable infrastructure in Alberta.
Rimrock Biodigester Facility – Transforming Greenhouse Gases into Renewable Energy
Rimrock Renewables LP is proposing to construct a biodigester facility to capture greenhouse gases (GHGs) from livestock manure and organic food resources and convert them to a usable energy resource called renewable natural gas (RNG). Today, those greenhouse gases (which are also odour causing), are currently being released to the atmosphere. The primary objective of the Rimrock Biodigester Facility is to capture as much of those gases as possible.
In Rimrock’s Alberta Environment and Protected Area’s (AEPA) application for the Biodigester, a disclosure was made that Rimrock had received a letter of support from the Mayor of High River. The letter was requested as part of the Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) grant application for the Rimrock Biodigester prior to submission of the AEPA application. Due to a miscommunication Rimrock would like to clarify that a letter of support regarding the Rimrock Biodigester AEPA application was not received from the Mayor of High River. Rimrock would also like to clarify that the letter of support received from Reeve Delilah Miller, disclosed in the AEPA application, was provided to Rimrock to support the ERA grant application.
About the Facility
Where is the facility located?
The Rimrock Biodigester Facility is located within Foothills County, approximately 5.5 km west of the Town of High River, at the northwest corner of Coal Trail (Township Road 191) and Meridian Street (Range Road 10).
Like most biodigester facilities in Canada and globally, the facility is located adjacent to the primary source of feedstock - in this case the existing Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot.
Locating these types of facilities immediately adjacent to the primary source of feedstock enhances environmental benefits (e.g., net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions) through reduced transportation requirements and hauling distances.
What are the Facility’s Environmental Benefits?
The biodigester facility will:
- Reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) by capturing odour causing gases such as methane (CH4) and convert them to a usable energy resource called renewable natural gas (RNG). These gases are currently being released to the atmosphere.
- Reduce storage time for livestock manure at the Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot, reduce odours from land application and support improved management of pens and land application.
- Produce an organic, micro-nutrient and odour-reduced digestate for land application, as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers.
- Provide a sustainable waste management strategy in conjunction with the agricultural livestock and energy sectors.
- Produce enough renewable natural gas to heat ~6000 homes per year (450,000 Gigajoules of RNG per year). RNG produced will be used in place of natural gas, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
What will the Facility Look Like?
Three-dimensional renderings of the facility are shown below.
How will the Facility Work?
Feedstock for the facility will be made up of livestock manure and organic food resources. Manure will be transported to the facility from the adjacent Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot. Organic food resources will be provided by various local sources.
The feedstock will be processed on-site in fully contained anaerobic digesters where micro-organisms (bacteria) will break down the organic material within the feedstock, in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas and digestate.
The biogas will be upgraded at the facility to produce pipeline quality renewable natural gas (RNG) which will be injected into a low-pressure ATCO Gas distribution pipeline to serve the local community.
An organic, biologically stabilized, micro-nutrient-and odour-reduced by-product of the anaerobic digestion process called digestate will be spread on agricultural land, as is being done with manure by the feedlot currently.
What are Main the Components of the Facility?
Main facility components and proposed site layout are shown below.
What are the Main Steps in the Facility Process?
The main facility process steps are described below. Follow along in the main facility components figure above by using the Process Area numbers.
| Process Area | Process Description |
|---|---|
| 1: Freshwater Reservoir | A freshwater reservoir will be located in the southeastern portion of site. It will be supplied under an approved Water Transfer Licence and will be constructed with a compacted clay liner. Contents of the freshwater reservoir will be used to blend with livestock manure prior to the anaerobic digestion process. No process water or runoff will be stored in the freshwater reservoir. |
| 2: Manure Processing | Livestock manure will be collected from the Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot and transported to the facility by truck using an internal gravel access road. The manure will be brought into the enclosed manure blend building to control odour where it is mixed with water prior to being fed into the anaerobic digestion process. The Rimrock Biodigester Facility will enable a significant change to current manure handling practices at the Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot where frequency of pen cleaning will increase and storage time will decrease resulting in a reduction in odours. |
| 3: Organic Food Resource Processing | Organic food resources will be trucked in from local third-party sources to the facility where they will be transferred into organic food resources tanks for processing before being fed into the anaerobic digestion process. The organics tanks will be fully enclosed to limit release of odours. |
| 4: Anaerobic Digester Tanks | The anerobic digestion process will occur within digester tanks. During anaerobic digestion, micro-organisms will break down the organic material within the feedstock in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas and digestate. These fully enclosed tanks have double-layer membranes which will contain the biogas at low pressure as well as any odours that may result from the process. |
| 5: Solid Digestate | Digestate will be pumped from the digester tanks into equipment that will remove water from the digestate, separating the liquid digestate from the solid digestate. The solid digestate will be stored in a designated solid digestate storage area until it is used for application to land parcels as a natural fertilizer alternative. |
| 6: Liquid Digestate Pond | The liquid digestate will be collected in an onsite digestate pond with an impermeable high density polyethylene liner. Liquid digestate will be pumped from the pond and applied to agricultural lands as a natural fertilizer alternative. |
| 7: Biogas Upgrading & Cogeneration | During biogas upgrading, activated carbon filters will trap volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), to produce pipeline quality RNG which will be injected into the local ATCO Gas distribution system. Two cogeneration units, with a combined maximum output of approximately 2 MW, will be installed onsite to produce electricity and heat needed to support Project operations. |
Required Regulatory Approvals and Permissions
There are many environmental approvals, permissions and agreements required to be in place before Rimrock can construct and operate the facility.
Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA)
- Approval under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) for construction and operation of the biodigester facility
- Water licence transfer
Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB)
- Feedstock permitted for the facility
- Digestate storge and land application requirements
Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC)
- Agreement/approval to generate onsite power through cogeneration units for facility use
Foothills County
- Development permit waiver
- Building permit
Rimrock will comply with all terms and conditions of regulatory agreements, permits, bylaws, and approvals that apply during project design, construction and operation, including any monitoring and reporting requirements.
Environmental Studies and Assessments
Rimrock has or is in the process of completing numerous environmental studies and assessments during the project design and regulatory stages, including air quality, noise, odours, soils, groundwater, vegetation, wildlife, and historical resources.
Proposed Project Timeline
Community
Ongoing Engagement
Rimrock is committed to meaningful engagement and consultation with landowners and local residents. We will continue to engage with stakeholders about the project to share information, respond to questions and to hear your feedback as an important factor in project planning. During construction businesses within the Community and Town of High River will benefit from increased activity and once in operation the facility will generate taxes for the County that will also benefit the local community. The facility will bring employment opportunity, diversification of the economy, and will be an efficient utilization of waste. As a company, and through our employees, we contribute to the communities where we live and work.
Drop-In Centre Volunteering
On November 30th, we volunteered to serve breakfast at the Calgary Drop-In Centre, the largest shelter in North America providing emergency shelter, healthcare, and housing support to those experiencing homelessness.
FAQs
Anaerobic digestion is a sequence of processes by which micro-organisms (bacteria) break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.
The process is used as an extension to agricultural operations to manage waste, capture greenhouse gases (which are also odour causing), and to produce renewable fuels.
Digestate is benign solid or liquid biproduct formed from the anaerobic digestion of feedstock. Digestate contains micro-nutrients that can be used as a natural fertilizer for crops.
Renewable natural gas is a biogas which has been upgraded to a quality similar to conventional natural gas. It is upgraded to 99% pure methane and fully interchangeable with conventional natural gas sourced from fossil fuels.
Yes. Biodigesters are proven to have a positive effect on the environment and surrounding areas as they provide a source of renewable fuel energy by removing greenhouse gas emissions and reduce odours associated with livestock agriculture and manure handling processes.
There are over 130,000 small, medium, and large-scale biodigesters operating worldwide. The Canadian Biogas Association estimates about 200 aerobic digesters converting manure and feed wastes into electricity or natural gas are operating in Canada today.
Rimrock has retained numerous consultants and subject matter experts working on the Project that have designed and built numerous biodigesters in Canada, including Alberta and Ontario.
The types of organic material (feedstock) that are permitted to be processed by the facility will be outlined by provincial approvals. Livestock manure from the adjacent feedlot will make up 50% or more of the total feedstock, with the remaining comprised of organic food resources such as food processing residues, kitchen and market residues, damaged and rejected grains, fats, oils, and greases from grocery stores, restaurants and cafeterias.
Feedstocks will be from natural sources and will be sourced locally.
All of the manure produced annually by the Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot is expected to be processed by the biodigester facility.
The facility will not have the infrastructure, or be permitted to, process SRM or carcasses.
The biodigester facility will help greatly reduce storage time for manure at the adjacent Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot since manure from the feedlot will be a primary source of feedstock for the anaerobic digestion process.
Controlled anaerobic digestion in sealed, heated digester tanks, will provide a suitable environment for naturally occurring bacteria to convert odour producing gases into both biogas and a low odour digestate effluent.
Biogas will undergo additional conditioning to capture odour causing substances.
Digestate is a biologically stabilized material that will be dewatered for temporary storage prior to land application. Dewatering will effectively trap any remaining residual particle emissions, reducing further the risk of odours.
The facility itself is designed with odour controls. All off-gases will be trapped using a combination of scrubbers, active carbon filters and membranes and disposed of properly.
Feedstock in the receiving areas will be actively managed.
Livestock manure will be received in a manure storage building. Organic food resource will be delivered into the covered tanks via a hose connection from the trucks to the tank lids.
An Air Quality Assessment has been prepared for the project by a qualified professional and submitted to AEPA as part of the regulatory application for the Project. The air quality assessment completed is separate and different from the odour study.
Maximum predicted ambient concentrations of emissions associated with the facility are well below the Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives.
The facility is being designed to comply with all noise bylaws and regulations.
Equipment used onsite will be regularly maintained to ensure it is operating within recommended noise limits.
Speed limits onsite will be enforced.
A comprehensive noise impact assessment will also be completed by a qualified professional as per Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) Rule 012 for power generating units.
Water required for facility operations will be sourced from the Highwood River under approved Water Transfer Licence(s).
Rimrock is also completing ongoing studies which may provide an opportunity to reuse a portion of the liquid digestate upstream of the digestate pond for use in process. Pending results the final size of the digestate pond will be confirmed.
No groundwater will be used in facility processes.
Stormwater and surface runoff will be collected in the drainage ditches and swales around the site and directed to the digestate pond which will be constructed with an impermeable high density polyethylene liner for full containment.
The facility has been designed with robust containment and monitoring systems to avoid impacts to water quality.
The digestate pond will be constructed with an impermeable high density polyethylene liner for full containment and no contact with groundwater.
Facility tanks and vessels have been designed with both primary and secondary containment and leak detection to prevent any inadvertent releases.
A groundwater monitoring system will be installed to provide rigorous surveillance and verification of groundwater quality during operations.
All land spreading activities associated with liquid and solid digestate will follow Alberta Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA) requirements, in accordance with Rimrock's Nutrient Management Plan and under the guidance of a certified crop advisor.
Receiving and staging areas for feedstock will be actively managed, given a semi-continuous operation, which will prevent or reduce attraction of animals and pests.
Anaerobic digestion had been demonstrated to greatly reduce or even eradicate the occurrence of certain pests (e.g., insects, and animal and plant pathogens) that may be present in feedstock, given temperatures involved in the process.
Facility operations are being designed such that digestate staging areas will not be stagnant.
The organic, reduced-odour contents of the digestate pond will be extracted in the spring and fall for land spreading. Agitation of the pond during this process will further reduce the attraction of animals and pests.
As part of routine facility monitoring, Rimrock will monitor for animals and for any signs of pests. Pest control measures will be used, as required.
Outdoor lighting will be required onsite outside regular business hours for site security and safety purposes and during low-light periods in the fall and winter months during regular business hours.
Outdoor lighting fixtures will follow the MD of Foothills No. 31 Dark Sky Bylaw.
The flare will only be used occasionally (for start-up, commissioning, and operational upsets).
Soil berms are being constructed along both the west and north sides of the facility. These berms are used as topsoil and subsoil storage (a regulatory requirement) and were strategically placed at these locations to improve aesthetics, blend into the natural environment, and reduce visibility from neighboring properties.
Rimrock will also be planting trees along the perimeter of the property along Coal Trail and Meridian Street, based on feedback received from residents through Project engagement activities.
The main facility access will be off Range Road 10 (Meridian Street) from Coal Trial. Range Road 10 will be paved to the entrance of the facility. All appropriate road signage and intersection control will be implemented per County requirements.
At full operations, approximately 6 -7 trucks are anticipated to deliver organic food resources to the facility per day.
The majority of the feedstock deliveries will be through manure (50% or greater of the feedstock) which will be transported from the adjacent feedlot using an existing internal gravel access road (i.e., not a public roadway).
A Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) was completed by a reputable firm specializing in transportation and is based on collected traffic data (counts and cameras). The results of the TIA indicate there will be a net decrease in annual traffic from the Project, as the facility will reduce the need by the Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd. feedlot to truck manure for spreading.
During construction, dust suppression using water trucks will be utilized, as needed.
During operations, facility operators will utilize appropriate dust suppression techniques, as needed.
Traffic speeds onsite will be limited and strictly enforced to minimize dust.
Electricity and heat needed to support the facility will be primarily provided onsite by two cogeneration units.
RNG will be injected into a low-pressure ATCO gas line onsite to serve the local community. The green credits associated with the RNG are being purchased by Fortis BC as part of Clean BC Roadmap to 2030 program.
The facility will be monitored 24 hours per day, 7 days per week through the use remote communications.
Active operations at the facility will primarily be during facility operating hours (8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily) and will follow all applicable County bylaw requirements.
The facility is expected to require 6 full time staff for regular operations.
The facility will be designed, constructed, and operated to meet all applicable health and safety standards, codes, and regulations.
Detailed operations plans, shutdown keys, alarm systems, and control narratives are also being developed to ensure the safe operation of the facility.
Access to the facility will be granted to operational personnel and approved third-party personnel only. Restricted access to the facility off Range Road 10 south of Coal Trail will be maintained through a controlled entry point. Access to the site from the east (i.e., for livestock manure from the adjacent Rimrock Cattle Company Ltd.) will be private access.
Getting In Touch
Our Project team is available to answer your questions and receive your feedback about the project.
We encourage you to contact us at stakeholders@rimrock-renewables.com
Last Updated December 16, 2022. Information is subject to change without notice.