Azura Associates

6 7 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 local community. Azura is advising Radius RNG LP who is developing a cluster of on-farm renewable natural gas (RNG) facilities in Ontario to reduce emissions from agricultural operations in southern Ontario and decarbonize natural gas for homes and businesses. As with most projects, risk mitigation’s primary role is to guarantee project success. In Azura’s market, success means waste management systems that stay online and reliably generate significant returns for project owners. “One dairy farmer we worked with in Ontario had a digester that wasn’t working,” Ellis says. “It was not making gas, so he was weighing the option of bulldozing the site and planting corn. We led him through the process of running and maintaining the digester, and soon, it was working so well, he decided to build a second one.” Azura typically collaborates with clients for one or two years, helping streamline their processes and training them on managing their equipment and biology. However, despite waste management being an equipment-intensive industry, Ellis quickly points out that his consultancy does not provide equipment. “Digesters are not rocket ships. It’s mostly a tank with a heater and a mixer,” Ellis says. “Where project owners need the most help is keeping the biology happy and the digester healthy.” “I like to say having a digester is like keeping a pet. You cannot just dump a whole bag of food on the floor and go on a two-week vacation to Mexico. Similarly, you cannot dump waste in a digester and leave it unattended; you need to pay attention and follow all the processes to ensure it works as intended.” Another area the company helps clients with the seasonality of waste management. Ellis says that clients often find themselves in a tight spot when a different season rolls in, and the waste management methods that work in summer, for example, are challenging to implement in winter. AZURA ASSOC I ATES