MUN boiler to go electric with $10.5M from federal, provincial governments

There are plans to reduce Memorial University's greenhouse gas emissions by about 30,000 tonnes with new funding for an electrification project at the university.

The provincial and federal governments will spend more than $10.5 million to remove one fuel oil-fired hot water boiler and replace it with two electric boilers. 

"Basically, what we're doing is the same as what we've done, or offered to do, in people's homes. We're taking Memorial off oil and putting them on electricity," said Premier Andrew Furey. 

Furey said the change will be the equivalent of taking about six to nine thousand cars off the road.

The electrical boilers, along with the three remaining oil boilers, will support the entire St. John's campus, the Health Sciences Complex, the new Core Science building and the future Adult Mental Health Facility.

The money was jointly funded through Newfoundland and Labrador's climate change challenge fund which is an application based grant program designed to enable businesses, industry, municipalities, Indigenous organizations to undertake greenhouse gas reduction projects. 

That fund is supported by more than $33 million through a federal low-carbon fund. 

Seamus O'Regan, MP for St. John's South, said there will be different paths to take when getting to net zero, but pointing out the challenges and obstacles along the way is a realistic response. 

"It's a simple move replacing boilers but these retrofits, every one of them, add up," he said. 

"They add to support a clean energy future for this province… and the future of our children."

While making the announcement, Furey also said Newfoundland and Labrador is in good position to meet the global demand for "low carbon" oil and gas.

He said Newfoundland and Labrador is delivering on a product that the rest of the world needs right now, as a transition to green energy is being made.

"Newfoundland and Labrador is perfectly positioned in the transition energy space right now to capitalize on both and to help the world transition," said Furey.

"We are perfectly positioned as an exciting place for the energy sector worldwide. We are the envy of every other province right now."