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Government of Canada Invests in Ridgetown Bio-Digester

August 31, 2011

An official ceremony was held today to celebrate the completion of construction for the new Anaerobic Bio-digester at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. Dave Van Kesteren, Member of Parliament for Chatham-Kent-Essex joined Robert Gordon, Dean of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), and Art Schaafsma, Director of the Ridgetown Campus, in officially lighting the bio-digester flare.

“Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan our government is committed to creating jobs and supporting the people, communities and businesses of southern Ontario,” said MP Van Kesteren. “Our investment at the Ridgetown Campus will help research, develop and bring to the marketplace new technologies for the agricultural industry.”

"It is exciting to see this project reaching completion" said Dean Gordon. "On behalf of the University of Guelph and OAC, we are grateful for the investment in renewable energy technology and see it as a catalyst for our ongoing commitments to food, agriculture, the environment and rural communities."

FedDev Ontario has invested nearly $2.6 million towards the construction of a farm-scale 250 kW anaerobic biodigester, which will convert agricultural and food industry biomass to biogas, to create electricity and to commercialize new oil seed crops. The purpose of the project is to commercialize new technology as well as train students and farmers. By developing a renewable agricultural energy project in the agricultural sector, the benefits from this project will strengthen the renewable energy sector as well as create new employment opportunities. FedDev Ontario was created as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to support businesses and communities in southern Ontario. Now in its third year of operation, the Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy.