Summerland, B.C., winery transitions to 100% renewable natural gas

Okanagan Crush Pad, the innovators behind Haywire Winery and Garnet Valley Ranch Winery in Summerland, B.C., has taken a step towards improved sustainability.

In partnership with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and FortisBC, the winery has transitioned to 100 per cent Renewable Natural Gas (RNG).

“We signed up for renewable natural gas through Fortis BC,” said Okanagan Crush Pad General Manager Craig Pingle.

“It’s been a great change for us in our effort to reduce our carbon footprint.”

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According to the winery, the change was relatively easy and there was no need for the winery to add any additional infrastructure.

“We just had to log in to our FortisBC account and make the change on the back end, and it took effect starting our next billing cycle,” said Pingle.

“Once we did the analysis, we realized that it was going to reduce our CO2 emissions by 50,000 kilograms a year.”

In total, Pingle estimates it will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by about 10 to 12 per cent per year.

“We have a goal through international wineries for climate action to reduce our carbon footprint by 50 per cent by 2030 and be net zero by 2050. And so, to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 12 per cent right away is huge,” said Pingle.

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According to TOTA, the change supports the wineries’ ongoing dedication to sustainability. This also aligns with TOTA’s RNG initiative, which aims to significantly reduce the region’s carbon footprint.

And the winery is one of the first to jump on board.

“We know tourism can be a force for good and that means making a change to how we actually entertain guests and how we produce products and experiences,” said TOTA’s CEO Ellen Walker-Matthews.

“We have close to 100 businesses participate in the biosphere, which is fantastic. We’re obviously looking to grow that and they’re doing various actions initiatives around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of one of which is renewable natural gas. And so, it’s a brand-new program. I believe Haywire is one of our first wineries but we’re certainly hoping to see more.”

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