Montreal's Olympic Park will get new, more efficient energy system

Montreal's Olympic facilities overseer will inject tens of millions of dollars to make the Olympic Park more energy efficient, Radio-Canada has learned.

The Rgie des installations olympiques (RIO) is partnering with the city to gradually replace every component of the current system, including ventilation, refrigeration, heatingand power generation.

Among the expected changesis a switch from steam to hot water for heating. A new ventilation system will recover heat from computer equipment and employees.

Quebec City-based Ecosystem will oversees the work. The company already converted theBiodmeto geothermal energy nearly 10 years ago.

The Olympic Park consumes 500,000 to 600,000gigajoulesof energy annually from various sources, including electricity, gas and oil. This is the energy produced by 13 million litres of gasoline.

• Without the Olympics, Montreal wouldn't have these 4 venues
• Olympic Tower funicular update to cost millions

RIO declined to comment on the project. An announcement is expected in the near future.

City renegotiating energy contract

It's a major change for the Olympic Park. RIOprovides most of the energy to the complex, as well as to neighbouring structures like theStar-Cittheatre and Olympic Village, and city-owned facilities like the Maurice Richard Arena and thePierre-CharbonneauCentre.

The City of Montreal confirmed the investment viaemailwithout specifying the amount.

Montreal is currently renegotiating its energy contract with RIO. Between 2008 and 2014, RIO raised its rates by more than 25 per cent, increasing the annual energy costs of the Maurice Richard Arena and the Pierre-Charbonneau Centre from $537,000 to $734,000.

RIO and the City will pen a new five-year contract starting on April 2017 that will set the conditions for the new energy services.