Environmental Leadership

From fuel cells research to a solar-powered community, ATCO is engaged in dozens of innovative programs designed to reduce environmental impacts — now and in the future.

ATCO's Commitment to Excellence

Across the ATCO Group of companies, innovation and a commitment to excellence is driving significant efforts to reduce environmental impacts. New research on clean coal, the testing of fuel cell technology at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and development of a unique, solar powered residential community in Okotoks, Alberta are some of the leading-edge projects in which ATCO has been engaged.

Alberta Power (2000) completed a major efficiency upgrade to the Battle River Generating Station’s unit 5 turbine rotor in November 2006. The increased efficiency will reduce greenhouse gas and other emission intensities.

ATCO Power Generation Group also participates in an Alberta tri-utility group that is researching methods to achieve mercury emissions reductions of 70 per cent from existing Alberta coal fired units. The tri-utility group partnered with the Alberta Government for the 2006 program, which involved a testing at the Sheerness Power Station that diverted a portion of the stack gas through experimental mercury control equipment to evaluate the mercury capture and operating performance of the equipment in a real life situation. Mercury control is required to be installed on existing coal-fired units by 2011.

As part of Alberta Power (2000)’s commitment to “Water for Life: Alberta’s Strategy for Sustainability” initiative, a new waste water lagoon began operating at the Sheerness Generating Station in 2006. The lagoon is designed for zero wastewater discharge by managing the water level through evaporation. In our Global Enterprises group, ATCO Structures in Calgary was able to divert approximately 1,388 metric tonnes of material away from the landfill. This includes metals, wood, cardboard and paper. The cardboard and paper recycling amounts translate into the preservation of: 1,989 trees, 3,119,220 litres of water, 7,020 pounds of air pollutants, 351 cubic yards of landfill space and 479,934 kilowatt hours of electricity.

Monitoring environmental impacts is also important. ATCO Pipelines was awarded the Gold Champion Level ranking by the Canadian GHG Challenge Registry, the federal climate change office, for its efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Attaining the Gold Champion Level required comprehensive reporting of all greenhouse gas emissions from operation of the business plus real action taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This ranking represents the highest level of achievement for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Since inception in 1994, only 143 companies have achieved the Gold Champion Level.

ATCO Pipelines has made good progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the efficiency of compressors used to move natural gas around its system and also by introducing “zero bleed” pressure control devices which do not release any natural gas during normal operation.

ATCO Midstream conducted a third party audit of its Environmental Management System (EMS) using the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers audit protocol. The audit results confirmed the high level of commitment ATCO Midstream has towards environmental protection.

In northern Canada, ATCO Frontec, with partner Aboriginal Engineering Ltd., is also making a difference at the Discovery Mine gold townsite, 85 kilometres north of Yellowknife. Efforts are underway to reclaim the land.

When the gold mine was abandoned in 1969, an abundance of old materials, buildings, homesteads, and mining equipment were left behind. Over a one-year period, ATCO Frontec staff constructed an environmentally sound landfill site, removed contaminated soil, dismantled the mining facilities, and restored the landscape to its natural state.

Wildlife has now moved back into the area.