The City of Prince George is seeking $3.26 million in federal and provincial grants to replace the aging refrigeration system at the Kin Centre arenas.
The 15-year-old cooling plant serves the three skating rinks in the Kin Centres, but not the ice rink in CN Centre. The total cost of replacing the plant was pegged at $4.45 million, acting deputy city manager Ian Wells wrote in a report to city council on Monday.
"The refrigeration plant is nearing the end of its life, and needs replaced," Wells said.
The city is seeking funding for the project from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Fund. If the application is successful, the city would fund its $1.19 million portion of the cost from the city's Carbon Tax Reserve Fund.
The city receives carbon tax rebates, which have been placed into the Carbon Tax Reserve Fund for projects to reduce the city's carbon footprint, city finance director Kris Dalio said. Currently the city has approximately $1.9 million in the fund, Dalio added.
Replacing the current refrigeration system with a newer, more efficient one would reduce the facility's greenhouse gas emissions by 73 per cent – the equivalent of 323 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, according to Wells' report.
"It is a significant carbon reduction," Dalio said.
In addition, a new refrigeration plant would reduce annual water consumption by roughly 2.9 million litres – equivalent to an Olympic-size swimming pool.
The new ice plant would include a heat recovery system, that would reduce the ammonia charge need by 70 per cent cut the facility's natural gas consumption by roughly 77 per cent, Wells wrote.
"Replacement of the system is also required to meet the current Technical Safety BC regulations for refrigeration plant systems stemming from a B.C. arena ammonia leak in 2017," Wells added in his report.
If the grant application is successful, the city anticipates beginning the project in 2022.
