Environment

Our Values in Action

Our Values in Action showcase the application of our values in the field and the office. These are demonstrative examples of how our employees performed their roles responsibly throughout the year.

TransCanada Receives CCME Award

In 2006, TransCanada received an award from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) for its “disciplined and cost-effective approach to reducing fugitive emissions releases of methane gas from pipeline systems by finding a means of measuring and understanding the scope of the problem, followed by developing the Fugitive Emissions Management Program.” In 2005, implementation of the program avoided the release of more than 500 million cubic feet of methane to the atmosphere, roughly the equivalent of 201,000 tonnes of CO₂.

By working with research scientists at the University of Calgary, TransCanada has helped to develop a biofilter that oxidizes a significant amount of a methane emissions stream into carbon dioxide. It does this by percolating the methane through harmless bacteria-laden soil or compost. The biofilter is specifically designed for use on pipeline components that are engineered to release methane as part of their normal operations.

Since biofilters could be used at more than 300 TransCanada meter stations that produce engineered emissions, this technology has important potential to mitigate significant methane emissions.