The federal government is set to spend some $2 million to help McMaster speed up a carbon emissions reduction initiative that was the centre of a protest earlier this year.
The money will cover the installation of a pair of electric boilers at the university, replacing gas-fired generators installed on Cootes Drive to reduce the learning facilities’ electrical costs.
Once functional, the boilers are expected cut university emissions by 23 per cent once fully active next year as per a Net Zero Carbon Roadmap plan to net zero carbon by 2050.
The university says the additions will put the institution on track to cut total carbon emissions on campus by more than 75 per cent by 2030.
Federal government carbon pricing is the source of the funds. This is part of a larger $9-million payout through a Decarbonization Incentive Program encompassing McMaster, York and Western Universities.
McMaster’s chief facilities officer Debbie Martin said the two new boilers will allow for decommissioning of other natural gas boilers on campus.
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“We go through about a two-month commissioning process where the generators are tested, making sure that they’re working and functioning as they’re designed,” Martin said.
“We don’t anticipate needing to you turn the generators on until next summer, but as you know, with the climate changes, it may end up being some peak days over the winter as well.”
The announcement comes several months after a group of students embarked on a hunger strike aimed at getting McMaster University to divest from fossil fuels.
That demonstration, which lasted eight days in late March, targeted four new natural gas generators on Cootes the protestors suggested would increase the university’s carbon emissions by 415 tonnes for every 60 hours of operation.
In March, university spokesperson Michelle Donovan told Global News the institution is committed to addressing climate change and shares the same objectives as the demonstartors, but said the generators were needed as “a stop-gap” along the way to reach emission targets.
The $9-million Decarbonization Incentive will also give $2 million to York University for a new energy management information system to help increase energy efficiency on its campus.
Western will get the biggest chunk, nearly $5 million to replace an older natural gas-powered boiler with high-voltage electric steam boilers.
Ottawa expects the investments will cut over 35,000 tons of carbon pollution by 2030 through these projects.
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