Bellingham Waterfront

The Partnership

The Port of Bellingham began a project to revitalize the Downtown Waterfront District into a thriving community hub. Seeking sustainable solutions, they partnered with Corix to transform an 18.8-acre site of a former pulp and paper mill into a vibrant, live-work environment.

The Opportunity

District energy was identified as a key part of the Port’s Master Plan to sustainably develop the Waterfront lands by employing utility system strategies that share energy, reduce carbon emissions and encourage urban densification while generating long-term positive impacts for the community.

Shortly after the Port installed an initial district energy piping system in 2018, Corix was selected to evaluate the feasibility of various technologies for the system – including biomass, heat recovery, air source heat pumps, and electric boilers.

The Solution

Corix’s Bellingham Waterfront District Energy Utility will deliver highly efficient, eco-friendly energy supply to 1.5 million square feet of new residential and commercial developments by leveraging a mix of low-carbon sources, including waste heat recovered from Puget Sound Energy’s Encogen facility and building-to-building energy sharing.

The Waterfront Condominiums by Harcourt Developments and Mercy Housing’s affordable housing development are the first buildings to connect to the system in early 2024. Future projects for the Waterfront District include a hotel and conference center and additional residential and commercial space.

The Energy System

Corix’s innovative Bellingham Waterfront District Energy Utility sets a new standard, meeting the rigorous efficiency and performance criteria of the Washington State Energy Code 2021 as a “Low Carbon District Energy System.”

Phase 1 currently provides heating and cooling to 200,000 square feet of initial residential developments through three prefabricated modules with 1.5 MWt of heating capacity and 380 tons of cooling. Low-carbon energy is sourced from building-to-building cooling loads and industrial waste heat recovery from Puget Sound Energy’s Encogen facility.

The modular Energy Center is designed to meet the needs of the development as it grows. This scalability means the waterfront community can expand to the surrounding downtown area and beyond, establishing a low-carbon, resilient energy network that advances the City of Bellingham’s Climate Action goals.