Bio Voltex has received provincial environmental impact assessment approval for a proposed biogas plant that will convert dairy farm manure and aquaculture fish waste into natural gas.
The approval was granted roughly five months after the company's application was filed—a faster turnaround than many comparable Canadian projects, which can take two to three years.
The facility will be built on unzoned agricultural land off Highway 114 in Penobsquis, southern New Brunswick.
Once operational, the plant will be capable of processing 135,000 tonnes of organic waste annually, producing 200,000 gigajoules of natural gas.
The anaerobic digestion process will decompose the material, capture the resulting methane, clean the gas and inject it into the pipeline network.
The approval carries 17 conditions, including a required environmental management plan addressing odour, air quality, water quality and noise.
Bio Voltex may be required to investigate and address any complaints at its own expense, and if a neighbouring water supply is affected, the company must provide a temporary water supply or repair or replace the affected well.
The company must also file a greenhouse gas emissions report after its first year of operation.
Bio Voltex has signed supply contracts with seven farms and aquaculture companies located across New Brunswick, securing what it describes as an adequate waste supply for the plant's expected 20-year operating life. Organic fertiliser will be produced as a by-product and distributed back to participating farms.
The gas produced will remain in New Brunswick and be sold to a single buyer for electricity generation. NB Power has confirmed it is in discussions with Bio Voltex regarding potential fuel supply, including as a means of offsetting emissions associated with its separate Tantramar natural gas power project.
According to the company, the plant is expected to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, with carbon credits to be sold through an energy commodity house. The company's carbon intensity calculation accounts for transport emissions, electricity use at the plant and pipeline, and end-use combustion, compared against baseline emissions from existing waste management practices such as open manure lagoons.
Bio Voltex has engaged with Indigenous groups regarding the project. The Mi'kmaw group MTI conducted an assessment and determined the project would have low impact on Mi'kmaw rights. The Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick has also been engaged and has indicated no current concerns.
Construction is expected to begin in late October 2026, with site grading, trenching and foundation work planned for the autumn, weather permitting. The company anticipates construction will take approximately one year to complete.
