The City of Calgary has broken ground on an $89.6-million composting facility expansion project.

“We’re set to increase our capacity by 60%, which translates to an impressive 160,000 tonnes of food and yard waste on an annual basis,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek during a news conference.

The Calgary Composting Facility ranks among the largest of its kind in Canada, according to a city news release.  The facility is owned by the city and operated by AIM Environmental.

The expansion project will introduce new technology to the facility in the form of an anaerobic digestion system. The system will enable the facility to process even more material while generating and capturing biogas, resulting in lowered greenhouse-gas emissions.

The expansion project’s funding sources include the city’s Green Cart program and federal low-interest loans and grants from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Natural Resources Canada.

Scott Pearce, the FCM’s president, said the expansion project will highlight the importance of working together to tackle climate change while improving the lives of Canadians.

“Expanding Calgary’s composting facility will create jobs, reduce emissions, and generate power and revenue from a renewable energy source,” said Pearce. “We are on the path to net zero, and only together can we find smart and sustainable solutions.”