Powering progress: FortisBC tours YVR's new boilers

On March 4, 2026, YVR welcomed the FortisBC team for a behind the scenes look at our new high-efficiency boilers in the International Terminal Building. It was a great chance for teams to connect, visit the boiler room, and see the equipment made possible thanks in part to a rebate from FortisBC. Our ongoing collaboration has been key to moving this project forward as we continue modernizing our infrastructure and lowering our climate impact. Key attendees included FortisBC’s VP of Energy Supply and Resource Development, Joe Mazza, along with Alana Lawrence, YVR’s VP of Communications, Environment, and Indigenous Relations, and Christoph Rufenacht, YVR’s VP of Airport Development and Asset Optimization.

The new boilers that have replaced our existing ones will provide heating for both the Domestic and International terminals—while using less gas. Our previous boilers had to operate at very high temperatures, which meant a significant amount of heat was lost through the exhaust system. The new boilers will operate at lower temperatures, enabling them to capture and reuse heat that older systems would have wasted. This makes them far more efficient. As a result, we can lower the temperature of the water circulating through the system, reduce energy loss, and still maintain reliable heating throughout the terminal. Altogether, replacing our boiler equipment is expected to lower YVR’s gas use by more than 13,000 gigajoules every year. That’s enough energy to heat more than 430 B.C. homes annually! The new boilers will also reduce emissions by roughly 700 tonnes of CO₂e and save about $175,000 in operating costs each year.

Boilers are a key element of our heating, ventilation, and air‑conditioning (HVAC) systems.  Upgrading and improving the efficiency of this system continues to be a major focus of our Journey to Net Zero. We continue to advance projects that lower our carbon emissions from our operations across the airport. This includes recently replacing one of our hot water heating systems with a fully electric setup and ongoing investments in HVAC energy efficiency and modernized controls throughout our buildings.

To learn more about Journey to Net Zero, please visit our website.