The Okanagan Indian Band Waste-to-Energy FEED Study establishes the technical and commercial foundation for an Indigenous-led clean energy initiative advancing sustainable waste management and community resilience. Led by the Okanagan Indian Band, the co-created Project integrates anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis to convert regional food and yard waste into renewable natural gas, biochar, and liquid fertilizer, maximizing resource recovery while reducing environmental impacts.

The Project defines feedstock sourcing strategies, assesses complex siting constraints, and delivers a fully integrated balance of plant design through coordination and collaboration with multiple vendor technologies within a practical and constructible layout. The design incorporated intentional flexibility in feedstock inputs, site configuration, and process integration, ensuring adaptability as commercial, regulatory, and partnership negotiations evolve. By providing a robust technical foundation, cost estimates, and financial modelling, the Project equips Okanagan Indian Band with the tools to confidently advance negotiations, secure funding, and position the Project for long-term operational and economic success.

Through disciplined system integrated, lifecycle cost optimization, and carbon intensity assessment, the Project demonstrates engineering excellence in scalable, low-carbon infrastructure that supports Indigenous leadership, sustainable resource management, and long-lasting community benefit.

The Project approach was grounded in establishing a robust basis of design to inform future commercial and delivery agreements. A comprehensive feedstock evaluation assessed regional availability and variability to define an optimized composition strategy. This work established design feedstock scenarios, mass and energy balances, and a defensible technical foundation to support future supply negotiations.

In parallel, a structured site selection process evaluated multiple candidate locations against technical, regulatory, geotechnical, and constructability criteria. A conservative reference site was selected for FEED-level engineering; however the assessment was designed to support future site negotiations and site-specific agreements while maintaining flexibility in layout and location.

Two major vendor packages for anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis were integrated by GHD into a comprehensive balance of plant design. This integration enabled the development of a Class 3 cost estimate and a detailed financial model informed by the Project’s carbon intensity assessment, supporting confident investment and funding decisions.

The Project delivered the materials, and analysis needs to guide investment, funding, feedstock negotiations, and site location negotiations. Designed with built-in flexibility across inputs, layout, and location, it can be adapted as decisions evolve. It equips Okanagan Indian Band with practical tools and a clear framework to support informed decisions and build a strong foundation for long-term success.