HAMILTON — If you drive down the Burlington Skyway into Hamilton, you might notice a large globe poking out above the wastewater-treatment plant. Painted to look like the Earth, it’s the gas tank for a generation unit that has been turning wastewater sludge into a renewable energy source — biogas — for more than 15 years.
While biogas projects can be complicated to pull off, advocates say they’re good for the environment and the economy — and they’re gaining ground in Hamilton and Niagara.
Biogas is a mix of gases produced when organic matter breaks down in a low-oxygen environment through a process known as anaerobic digestion. It has typically been used to generate electricity, but newer projects are using it to produce renewable natural gas for use as fuel.