Creating the Next Generation of District Heating
Hamilton Community Enterprises (HCE) is committed to pioneering innovative energy solutions that drive sustainability and efficiency across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. Our Energy Harvesting Project is a testament to this commitment.
Join us in an exciting quest to unlock the compounding economic, environmental and social benefits of this unique opportunity.
Objective
Bringing Net-Zero Within Reach
The project’s purpose was to determine the technical feasibility and commercial viability of using residual thermal energy from the Bayfront Industrial Area in Hamilton to heat buildings through a proposed district energy system serving the surrounding community and beyond.
Project methodology
With this goal in mind, HCE and its project partners established the following phased approach:
Developed a preferred scenario linking heat sources in Hamilton’s Bayfront Industrial Area to heat sinks — including select buildings and campus-style developments - in and around downtown Hamilton.
Produced a preliminary report assessing commercial viability, including conditions required to support a viable business model. The business case was benchmarked against fossil fuel-based heating and modeled over a 30-year project term.
Delivered a Class C cost estimate, market sounding analysis, and recommendations on financing, governance, and operations.
Key Findings
The study confirmed that Hamilton’s Thermal Corridor is both technically feasible and commercially viable, with the potential to:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to fossil fuel heating - over 27,000 tonnes annually
- Deliver 143,000 MWh/year of recycled green heat
- Avoid $247 million in new electrical infrastructure costs over 10 years
- Generate $12–33 million in additional profits for local industry
The proposed system would begin with connections to Hamilton General Hospital and expand to serve HCE’s existing downtown district energy network.
Conclusion
Powering Hamilton’s Future
As of June 2025, the Hamilton Energy Harvesting Feasibility Study is complete. The findings outlined above represent the high-level outcomes of a two-year collaborative effort to explore a transformative energy solution for Hamilton.
We invite you to explore the full set of deliverables to learn more about the technical, economic, and environmental dimensions of this project.
Download the Feasibility Study Report
Study contributors
