Canadian Biomass • November/December 2017 • Industry News

Enerkem Inc. has received approval from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to sell cellulosic ethanol produced at its Edmonton facility under the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

The facility is the first commercial-scale plant in the world to produce cellulosic ethanol made from non-recyclable, non-compostable mixed municipal solid waste, and the first to receive approval to sell in the United States.

The company began producing and selling biomethanol in late 2016, and expanded production to include cellulosic ethanol with the installation of its methanol-to-ethanol conversion unit earlier this year.

“With this EPA approval, we are now able to sell one of the lowest-carbon transportation fuels into the world’s largest biofuels market,” president and chief executive officer of Enerkem Vincent Chornet said. “This provides further validation of Enerkem’s leading position in the global race to decar-bonizing the transportation fuel sector, which is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Earlier this year, Enerkem expanded its Edmonton biofuel facility to produce some 13 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually following the commissioning of its methanol-to-ethanol conversion unit. This pioneering facility has been financed by private sources and received funding support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), Alberta Innovates and Alberta Energy.

Origin Materials has announced that it will locate its oxidation pilot plant at the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park in Ontario for terephthalic acid (PTA) and furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) production.

Origin recently purchased this asset from Eastman Chemical Company. This major applications development ($6 million) project is being supported by Bioindustrial Innovation Canada through its COMM SCI initiative with its partners; Lambton College and the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park. This project will include the relocation, commissioning and process validation of the pilot plant. BIC will provide advice, services and financial support for the removal of technical and market application barriers to commercialization of bio-based PTA and FDCA to enable commercial production of bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene furanoate (PEF).

In a recent news release, Eastman Chemical Company, headquartered in Tennessee announced that, in addition to the sale of the pilot plant, Eastman and Origin Materials have entered into an agreement for Eastman to license its proprietary 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid and FDCA derivatives production technology from renewable resources to Origin Materials. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Earlier this year, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) announced a COMM SCI investment in Origin Materials, Sacramento, California, through BIC’s Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA) investment fund, as part of an investment round that will see Origin construct its first commercial scale demonstration facility in Sarnia in late 2018.

“Locating this oxidation pilot plant in Sarnia is further recognition of the great innovation potential within the Sarnia-Lambton area. BIC is very excited to support Origin and their activities. There are many benefits to producing products and conducting applied research within a strong industrial biotechnology cluster,” Sandy Marshall, executive director of BIC said.

Dr. Mehdi Sheikhzadeh, executive dean of applied research and innovation at Lambton College stated: “This project is another very successful example of attracting international companies to our region that will utilize our strong collaborative effort in our community to expand the Sarnia-Lambton Bio Hybrid Chemistry Cluster.”

Quebec-based pyrolysis plant Xylo-Carbone is receiving $1.5 million in funding from the Quebec Government to build a charcoal production plant that will produce bio-coal products.

The project is being re-engineered using the company’s new Maple Leaf Charcoal technology to produce vegetable charcoal (renewable forest bio- mass); a new type of furnace with improved mass efficiency and stability with respect to the carbonization process.

FPInnovations has purchased lands at the Technoparc de Montréal for its international biomaterials innovation centre.

The lands, totalling more than 360,000 square feet, are in the southern part of the Technoparc de Montréal, the Eco-campus Hubert Reeves section.

“I am pleased in regard to this first step toward building an integrated international biomaterials innovation centre under FPInnovations’ leadership. This is an opportunity for the greater Montreal area as well as for the Quebec and Canadian forest industry to lead the way in the field of biomaterials and clean technologies,” said Pierre Lapointe, president and CEO of FPIn- novations. “The location chosen at the Technoparc will allow us to get closer to our current partners, to facilitate travel for our collaborators, and to allow our employees to work within an environment that promotes innovation and co-operation.”

Mario Monette, president and CEO of Technoparc Montréal, said the transaction marks a kick-off in the development of the Eco-campus Hubert Reeves. “FPInnovations corresponds exactly to the type of resident companies looking for a workplace with a perfect symbiosis between humans and nature. We are convinced that the arrival of FPInnovations will attract a growing interest for companies wishing to settle in an environment where nature protection is a priority,” he said.

Whitesand First Nation in northwestern Ontario is one step closer to developing an industrial park to support new biomass and wood processing facilities thanks to federal and provincial investments.

The project received $2.81 million from the federal government and $949,539 from the government of Ontario.

The goal of the industrial development project is to attract new business and provide steady employment opportunities for com- munity members as well as those in neighbouring communities.

Community-owned and operated Sagatay Cogeneration LP and Sagatay Wood Pellets LP will be the first tenants of the indus- trial park. Under Sagatay, Whitesand First Nation has negotiated a 20-year renewable agreement for electrical generation to ensure a guaranteed revenue stream and the sustainability of the indus- trial park project.

“Whitesand First Nation is proud to partner with the Gov- ernments of Canada and Ontario to make this game-changing, generational project a reality,” Chief and Council, Whitesand First Nation, said in a news release. “We have been pursuing this complex development for many, many years and we could not be happier to finally see it moving from development towards construction and implementation. The industrial park will be known as the Bio-Energy Centre and will provide a home for our biomass co-generation facility, wood pellet plant and wood merchandising yard. Whitesand First Nation will capitalize on the new low car - bon economy to create meaningful employment, while respecting the environment and providing clean, renewable power.”

The funding complements previous federal support of $1.1 million provided by Natural Resources Canada under its Indigenous Forestry Initiative through the federal Strategic Partnerships Initiative.

The wood pellet research laboratory (BBRG) at the University of British Columbia is getting a boost of $250,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

The funding is part of a larger grant of $1.8 million to a larger group of UBC researchers to further support the development of the UBC’s biorefining research and innovation capacity. Founded in 1997, the CFI funds state-of-the-art research infrastructure (facilities and equipment) that Canadian researchers will use to conduct world-class research.

The one-time infrastructure grant will be used to acquire a new pilot scale pellet mill complete with hammer mill, conditioning chamber, pellet press, pellet cooling system, and screens for fine removal.

The new equipment will augment the already well-established facilities for investigations on pellet production, handling and storage. In addition to pilot scale continuous pellet system, a new precision single pellet press will enable the scientists to study the development of new formulations, design, and operating conditions to manufacture high quality pellets.

The single pellet press is capable of controlling temperature, moisture, particle size, and speed of compaction, and pressure.

In addition to the densification equipment, a pilot scale continuous heat treatment (pyrolysis) system is planned to test the commercial production of biochar and biocoal.