Construction Starts on Edmonton Waste-to-Biofuels Research Facility
September 23, 2009
The City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta have started construction on a $10 million advanced energy research facility at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
The research facility will focus on the conversion of various types of waste from the oil & gas, agricultural, forestry and other industrial sectors and the municipal sector to produce green transportation fuels and chemicals that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It will include advanced laboratory equipment and a well-instrumented pilot plant. A joint City of Edmonton- Advanced Energy Research Institute (AERI) steering group and a technical committee will guide and implement the research and development activities.
Funding for the facility, which was announced in July this year, is from the Government of Alberta through the AERI. The research facility is part of a waste-to-biofuels project which includes a municipal waste processing facility being built by the City of Edmonton, and a commercial waste-to-biofuels facility to be built by Enerkem GreenField Alberta Biofuels.
Enerkem will conduct some of its advanced research at the facility led by Dr. Esteban Chornet, a world-leading scientist in the use of thermo catalysis for developing alternative fuels from waste.
Construction of the $10 million research facility will be completed in the first quarter of 2010.
“Our province is becoming known as a place to launch new strategies, turn initiatives into action and develop global markets for products and technologies,” said Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. “Waste-to-biofuels technologies is another strong example of our province’s and this city’s commitment to the science of solutions when it comes to energy development.”
“This research centre is an investment in our future,” said Edmonton City Councillor Tony Caterina. “This type of collaboration - between two orders of government and the private sector - is essential for us to move forward with green technologies and the start of a long-term and productive working relationship.”
About the City of Edmonton
The City of Edmonton is at the forefront of sustainable waste management having established the leading Edmonton Waste Management Centre (EWMC) and associated Centre of Excellence. The EWMC is North America’s largest collection of modern, sustainable waste processing and research facilities. Facilities at the 233-hectare site include a Materials Recovery Facility, the Edmonton Composting Facility, the GEEP Electric and Electronic Waste Recycling Facility, the Clover Bar Landfill, a leachate treatment plant, a landfill gas to electricity system, a construction and demolition waste recycling operation, and a research facility. At the development stage is the waste to biofuels facility.
About Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI)
The mission of the Alberta Energy Research Institute is to increase the energy industry's capacity to develop and adapt innovative technologies that maximizes the value of Alberta's natural and renewable resources. AERI develops and implements the energy innovation strategy for Alberta and, in partnership with industry and other government agencies, invests in collaborative applied research, technology development and pilot demonstrations along the entire innovation chain. AERI’s six strategic programs areas are: Bitumen Upgrading, Clean Carbon/Coal, Improved Recovery, Renewables, CO2 & Emissions and Water Use.
About Enerkem
Enerkem is a leading waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company. It has developed a unique gasification, sequential gas conditioning and catalysis technology platform, capable of using a mix of feedstock, such as sorted municipal solid waste, forest biomass and agricultural residues. The company is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, and has engineering offices in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Enerkem’s first commercial-scale plant is based in Westbury, Quebec. Enerkem is a private company, financed by leading US venture capital firms Rho Ventures and Braemar Energy Ventures, the Canadian investment fund BDR Capital and the Company's management.
For more information:
Connie Boyce
| Title | Director, Community Relations, Waste Management Branch |
|---|---|
| Telephone | 780-496-5407 |
| connie.boyce@edmonton.ca |
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