CBJ - February 8 - The Government of Quebec has announced its plan to inject $27 million in Quebec’s first full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife and Investissement Quebec. This facility will be built and operated by a joint venture partnership formed by Enerkem, a waste-to-biofuels and chemicals company, and GreenField Ethanol, the Canadian leader in alcohol production.

The future plant will be located in Varennes, Que., and will use Enerkem’s proprietary technology to convert non-recyclable municipal solid waste into biofuels. With a full-scale waste-to-biofuels facility under construction in Edmonton, and another under development in Mississippi, the Varennes facility represents Enerkem’s third full-scale commercial project.

“By producing liquid transportation fuel from non-recyclable waste, this facility opens the door to the emergence of a new energy sector and will allow for local sustainable management of our waste materials,” said Vincent Chornet, Enerkem President and CEO. “Located on the site of Ethanol GreenField’s current plant, this project will represent one of the first integrations between an existing, first generation ethanol plant and a new cellulosic ethanol plant.”

Jean Roberge, General Manager, GreenField Ethanol Quebec, added, “The construction of this innovative plant on our current site marks the beginning of our transition to an integrated biorefinery in Varennes. We are pleased to partner with Enerkem and integrate their technology to build Quebec’s first full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant. The use of waste materials, that is made possible with Enerkem’s technology, complements GreenField Ethanol R&D efforts with other types of biomass.”

This waste-to-biofuels production facility will help reduce greenhouse emissions, fossil fuel imports, and landfilled volumes. The non-recyclable waste will come from institutional, commercial, and industrial sectors, and from construction and demolition debris. The anticipated annual production capacity of the plant is about 38 million litres.

“In addition to presenting a solution to landfilling, today’s announcement will enable greenhouse gas emission reductions by about 110,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Cellulosic ethanol is a renewable fuel that will contribute to reducing our dependence on petroleum products. By supporting this project, our government is concretely reinforcing energy security for Quebec. Today’s announcement puts Quebec in an advantageous position in the search for alternatives to fossil fuel consumption,” outlined Minister Clement Gignac.