Toronto, ON: 2004,2022 Cooling Downtown Buildings with Lake Water

This project probably anticipates the expansion of Toronto's downtown by converting the land of Villers Island from industry to office buildings.

Central cooling plants for downtown buildings are not unusual. For example, Chicago has plants that make ice during the evening so that chilled water can be pumped to buildings during the day. That allows the use of cheaper electric rates. And Indianapolis uses steam from a power plant to directly drive water chillers. Toronto uses a heat exchanger to extract "cold" from its water supply.

It is the largest of its kind and displaces 55mw of energy a year from the grid. [enwave] "Compared to a chiller, Deep Lake Water Cooling can reduce electricity use by ~80%" [enwave2]

"There’s a back-up system for the city’s closed loop, when necessary: 14,000 tons of additional back-up cooling can be provided by two steam-powered centrifugal chillers and two traditional electric centrifugal chillers. This may be required during high-heat days. In routine circumstances, the heat from the loop will be removed using lake water alone and flow through the downtown loop will by-pass the four supplemental chillers." [buildipedia]

2 of 29 photos and a video posted by Bobby Dzz with the comment: "Towing a pipeline almost 3 kms in length from Hamilton where it was built, to Toronto for its Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) expansion project.  It is the worlds largest lake water cooling system, and at the moment helps to cool over 100 buildings in downtown Toronto.  Fun fact: The Scotia Bank Arena is 100% cooled with this system and has no AC installed. With this expansion it will be able to provide 60% more capacity for future growth.  What a fun and exciting day with Janey and Dion."

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[The pipe is going under the 1962 Canal Lift and 1958,1988 James Allan Skyway Bridges at Burlington, ON.]

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Janey Anderson: you can see the "connectors" on the barge getting ready for attachment - love this shot!
[A comment on another photo stated that a connector was added every kilometer.]
Bobby Dzz shared

Janey Anderson posted

Let the pipe sinking begin in the Toronto outer harbour for the 4th section of the deep Lake Water Cooling Expansion project. 

This is the Amy Lynn D. And Ocean A.Gauthier tugs, with a combined pull by both tugs to hold the pipeline extended in position for sinking of 44 tons.

This will be an all-night project. These crews have worked tirelessly for the last 3 days.

Photo credit: Peter Lee - Captain on Ocean A. Gauthier

 Cynthia Rooke: Will the water be recycled back to the deep?
Janey Anderson: Cynthia Rooke yes! Using intake pipes that extend deep into Lake Ontario, cold water is pumped to the Island Filtration Plant operated by Toronto Water. The cold water is treated for use as drinking water before it's conveyed to the John Street Pumping Station. There, large heat exchangers transfer thermal energy between two systems – the potable water for the city is minimally heated as water supplied to downtown buildings is chilled. After the chilled water has circulated through and cooled the buildings, Enwave recycles the heat, returning the warm water to the pumping station to repeat the process.
John Decker: What’s the Depth?
Janey Anderson: John Decker not entirely sure; 70-90 m I have heard.
Dennis DeBruler: John Decker The current system is 83 meters.
"Enwave’s three intake pipes draw water (4 degrees Celsius) from 5 kilometres off the shore of Lake Ontario at a depth of 83 metres below the surface."
https://www.esci-ksp.org/archives/project/deep-lake-water-cooling-system

I presume this is one of the heat exchangers between the water-supply pipes and the closed loop chilled-water pipes.

CHAcompanies
"The cold water from deep in the lake eliminated the taste and odor problems of Toronto's summer drinking water."
[I know that Chicago sometimes has problems with its water, which is sourced from Lake Michigan, being "weird".]

Janey Anderson posted three photos with the comment:

UPDATE ON ENWAVE PIPELINE PROJECT:

Well, the tugs have left (other than Radium Yellowknife) and now Dominon Diving (from Dartmouth, N.S.) takes over. Their ROV system FMV-40 was launched yesterday afternoon after the pipe was sunk in the outer harbour of the Lake. These shots were taken at 67 metres depth along the floor of Lake Ontario. 

The final phase will involve - removing the pipe's end cap, swivel hood, and slings & then complete the final survey. 

Thank you Matthew Lohnes for keeping me posted on your progress. Fascinating project from start to finish.

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