Edmonton Waste-to-biofuels facility in full operation By Andrew Snook $100-million Enerkem Alberta Biofuels waste-to-biofuels commercial scale plant recently completed Phase 2 of the facility’s construction and is now filling orders for biomethanol. Canadian Biomass was on hand to watch one of the first tanker trucks fill up on methanol to fill a commercial order this past August at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre where the Enerkem facility is being constructed over three phases. Although the plant is now in full operation for the production of biomethanol, a third phase of construction is underway that will allow Enerkem to also produce bioethanol. That final phase is expected to be complete by mid-2017 with production of bioethanol underway in the second half of 2017. As for the biomethanol, Enerkem reached an off-take agreement with the Methanex Corporation, the largest methanol producer in the world, which will purchase as much biogas as the facility can produce. The processing capacity of the facility is 300 dry metric tons per day of feedstock input. The full production capacity of the plant is estimated at 40 million litres of ethanol. This past August, Enerkem’s Edmonton-based biorefinery became the first plant in the world to be certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system for the conversion of municipal solid waste into biomethanol. “I think it’s going to become increasingly important for companies to validate their emission and environmental benefits through these types of certification agencies,” says David Lynch, general manager of research and development for Enerkem. “We’re quite proud to be the first waste-to-bio-fuels company to have that.” ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES Filling orders The Lynch sees huge opportunities for his company’s tech-nology to expand throughout Alberta in areas like Calgary and other heavily populated regions that could accommo-date one or more facilities like the one in Edmonton. “There’s waste available to build more facilities and this has a huge impact on greenhouse gas reductions,” he says. “We’re also complementing the local fuel supply with a very low carbon fuel that has a very beneficial environ-mental result.” The Edmonton facility is considered the minimum size LEFT MAIN: The full production capacity of the plant is estimated at 40 million litres of bioethanol. INSET: Trucks lineup to unload at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre, where Enerkem’s waste-to-biofules facility is located. Canadian BIOMASS 19
Canadian Biomass November December 2016: Page 19
