How much funding can be received?

Get financing to cover 75% of the costs up to $40 millions for a waste heat recovery project, including industrial discharges from incinerators, data centers or wastewater, to be used for the heat needs of all types of users.

Financing terms and conditions

This grant, part of the Waste Heat Recovery program, provides comprehensive financial support for infrastructure projects aimed at capturing and distributing thermal waste. It offers various funding mechanisms to align with the scale and impact of diverse projects.

A maximum financial aid of 75% of eligible project expenses, or a calculated amount based on emission reductions: $125 per tonne of CO2 equivalent reduced plus $8 per reduced gigajoule of renewable energy, depending on which is lesser.
The maximum funding available per project is capped at $40 million.
Initial costs covered include capital costs for equipment upgrades or purchases, infrastructure construction, installation, and calibration costs, and land development expenses.
Professional external fees and administrative or management fees, capped at 15% of eligible expenses, are covered.
Payments are disbursed in stages: an initial payment of up to 50% upon fulfilling specific criteria, subsequent payments based on project expenditure thresholds, and final payment upon project completion and expenditure validation.

Eligible projects & activities

The Waste Heat Recovery — Stream 2: Infrastructure Implementation grant supports projects aimed at capturing and distributing waste heat to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible projects focus on building and connecting infrastructure to enhance energy efficiency.

Construction of heat networks to link various waste heat emitters to receivers.
Connecting infrastructure such as equipment between the heat network and delivery point.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 7,500,000

Construction of a waste heat recovery system for a paper mill

$ 9,375,000

Installation of a district energy system to recover heat from an industrial bakery

$ 11,250,000

Upgrading a district heating system to capture waste heat from a wastewater treatment plant

$ 7,875,000

Engineering and construction of heat network connecting a data center to nearby residential buildings

$ 6,000,000

Installation of heat exchangers for waste heat recovery from an incinerator facility

$ 7,125,000

Development of a heat recovery system for a university campus using data center waste heat

Eligibility criteria of the Waste Heat Recovery — Stream 2: Infrastructure implementation program

Eligibility for this grant may involve specific criteria related to the nature of the applicant and the project, although explicit eligibility details for companies are not mentioned in the provided context.

The applicant must be capable of providing initial investments that are necessary, justifiable, and directly attributable to the project's execution.
Expenses should align with the activities such as construction of a heat network or connection to it, indicating involvement in thermal rejection projects.
Applicants need to prepare comprehensive project and financial documentation as part of the application process.

Who is eligible?

This grant supports infrastructure projects focused on the capture and distribution of thermal emissions. Eligible projects include those that involve the construction of heat networks and connection to these networks through necessary equipment and investments.

Eligible expenses

This grant supports the development of infrastructure projects aimed at capturing and distributing thermal emissions. The eligible activities focus on the construction and connection of thermal networks and the necessary equipment to enable these processes.

Construction of thermal networks to connect one or more emitters to one or more receivers.
Installation of equipment connecting the thermal network to the delivery point.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is administered by the Government of Québec, indicating potential geographical eligibility within this province. However, specific eligible areas are not explicitly mentioned in the provided information.

Eligibility criteria of the Waste Heat Recovery — Stream 2: Infrastructure implementation program

There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant. The evaluation and selection criteria include:

Evaluation of the project's sustainability and environmental impact
Evaluation of the project's technical feasibility
Evaluation of the project's financial viability

How to apply to the Waste Heat Recovery — Stream 2: Infrastructure implementation program

Preparation of the documents

Fill out the financial assistance application form.
Sign and date the form by an authorized signatory.
Prepare the documents presenting:
A description of the applicant.
A detailed description of the proposed infrastructure project.
The timeline for project completion.
The project's partners.
The procurement agreements with thermal discharge suppliers.
The project's feasibility study.
The financial structure detailing the funding sources and estimated costs.
The calculations for energy consumption reduction and GHG emissions.
The letters of intent from potential clients.
The risk assessment and mitigation strategies.

Submission of the request

Send the documents by email to vrt@environnement.gouv.qc.ca with the subject "Valorization of thermal discharges".

Confirmation of receipt

A program officer will be assigned to your file within five working days of receiving the documents.

Confirmation of financial aid

Receive a written confirmation of the amount of the maximum financial aid granted.

Signature of the financial assistance agreement

Sign the financial aid agreement.
Provide proof that the project has started.

Progress Report

Submit a progress report by March 31 of each year during the project implementation.

Second payment (for projects over 10 M$)

Receive a second payment after the validation of the progress report demonstrating eligible expenses incurred greater than 50% of the aid.

Final project report

Submit a final project report no later than one month after the end of the project.

Last payment

Receive the final payment after receipt and validation of the compliance of the final report.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

The grant provides financial assistance for capturing thermal waste, which is considered a non-GHG emitting energy supply.
The financial assistance is structured into multiple payment phases, tied to specific deliverables and financial milestones.
Annual reporting to the Ministry is mandatory to ensure compliance and progress tracking.
Any changes to project timeline or scope require approval from the Ministry to ensure continued funding eligibility.

Documents and links

Waste Heat Recovery — Stream 2: Infrastructure implementation

Apply to this program

Supports energy-efficient construction and renovation for businesses in Quebec