Resolute garners recognition in the Carbon Footprint category.
Resolute was presented with a Novae Award in the Carbon Footprint category during the 2017 Novae Awards ceremony, held on June 15 at Montréal’s Centre Phi. The company was recognized for its participation in Toundra Greenhouse in Saint-Félicien, Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec.
The awards ceremony was attended by many Quebec professionals involved in sustainability projects.
Unifying project
Toundra Greenhouse is an innovative joint venture in which Resolute holds a 49% interest. At a cost of about $100 million, the project builds and operates greenhouses that produce cucumbers. This initiative started by the municipality and local businesses took off when Resolute offered land near its commercial pulp mill on which to build the greenhouse, and to supply enough hot water from the mill to cover 25% of their heating requirements.
In addition, Resolute, CO2 Solutions and Toundra Greenhouse are working together to build a CO2 capture unit to collect up to 30 metric tons of CO2 per day from the mill for controlled injection into the greenhouse, which enhances photosynthesis. Note that 90% of the water requirements of the greenhouse are met by recovering water from rain and snow.
Equivalent to 2,300 vehicles
Inaugurated in December 2016, the complex will recover the equivalent of 11,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, which represents the equivalent of taking 2,300 vehicles off the road every year. It is also an economic success: 95% of the produce is already sold and more than 100 jobs have been created so far (it will be over 400 jobs when the project is completed). The project also shows Resolute’s ability to foster agreement and reinvention of the regional economy.
Toundra Greenhouse proves that economic development can go hand in hand with reduction of the carbon footprint by creating a link between the environment and municipal/regional economic development.
