Enerkem is a clean technology company based in Montreal. Founded in 2000, Enerkem uses its patented technology to convert residual biomass and non-recyclable

municipal solid waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, ...

(MSW) into biofuels and renewable

chemicals A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wit ...

. In Quebec, Canada, Enerkem has an innovation centre in Westbury. The company's first commercial-scale demonstration plant was inaugurated in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

in 2014. Other commercial plants are under development in Canada and Europe, such as in

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...

(Spain),

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

(Netherlands) and

Varennes Varennes-en-Argonne (, literally ''Varennes in Argonne'') or simply Varennes (German: Wöringen) is a commune in the Meuse department in the Grand Est region in Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 639. Geography Varennes-en-Ar ...

(Quebec), with the latter under construction in September 2021. Enerkem is a private company. Its shareholders are

National Bank of Canada The National Bank of Canada (french: Banque Nationale du Canada) is the sixth largest commercial bank in Canada. It is headquartered in Montreal, and has branches in most Canadian provinces and 2.4 million personal clients. National Bank is the ...

BlackRock BlackRock, Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multi-national investment company based in New York City. Founded in 1988, initially as a Enterprise risk management, risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackR ...

, Braemar Energy Ventures, Cycle Capital,

Fonds de solidarité FTQ The largest development capital network in the province, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ was created on the initiative of the FTQ, Québec's largest central labour body. As of Novembre 30, 2022, the Fonds held $17.8 billion in net assets and ha ...

, Fondaction CSN,

Investissement Québec Investissement Québec is a company established in 1998 under an act passed by the National Assembly of Quebec to favour investment in Quebec by Quebec-based and international companies. Its registered office is located in Quebec City. In December 2 ...

Rho Ventures Rho Capital Partners is a venture capital firm that actively invests in companies related to technology, new media, cleaning technology and healthcare. Rho Fund Investors, a division of Rho Capital Partners, is a fund of funds (FoF), or fund t ...

, Sinobioway,

Suncor Suncor Energy (french: Suncor Énergie) is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands. In the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, Suncor Energy was ranked as the 48th-l ...

, The Westly Group and

Waste Management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring ...

. Since 2000, Enerkem has grown remarkably and become a world-class company with projects in Canada and abroad. With its unique and cutting-edge technology, Enerkem is well positioned in the field of biofuels and

greenhouse gas reduction Climate change mitigation is action to limit climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or removing those gases from the atmosphere. The recent rise in global average temperature is mostly caused by emissions from fossil fuels bur ...

. The management team consists of ten managers and is chaired by Dominique Boies, CEO and CFO since 2019. The Board of Directors comprises nine experienced directors and is chaired by Joshua Ruch, President of Rho Capital Partners.

History

Enerkem's technology was developed by Dr. Esteban Chornet (

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epis ...

and Professor Emeritus at the

University of Sherbrooke A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

). Professor Chornet has been in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

since 1970 and has had a distinguished career as a professor at the University of Sherbrooke while continuing his work on

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

. He has also conducted highly successful research projects in

catalysis Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

and

thermochemistry Thermochemistry is the study of the heat energy which is associated with chemical reactions and/or phase changes such as melting and boiling. A reaction may release or absorb energy, and a phase change may do the same. Thermochemistry focuses on ...

with Canadian and American partners. Over the years, Esteban Chornet's research has allowed him to explore the potential of biomass as an alternative

energy source Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from natural resources. These activities include production of renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel derived sources of energy, and for the recovery and reuse ...

. This led to the revolutionary technology that allows Enerkem to produce

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...

s and renewable chemicals from biomass and non-recyclable waste. In 2000, in order to take full advantage of this technology, Esteban Chornet founded Enerkem with his son Vincent Chornet. The new company focused on refining its technology and seeking financing. In 2004, Enerkem completed the construction of a pilot plant in

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...

, Quebec, Canada, to further develop its technology and adapt it to market requirements. In 2009, the company commissioned an industrial demonstration plant in Westbury, in the

Eastern Townships The Eastern Townships (french: Cantons de l'Est) is an historical administrative region in southeastern Quebec, Canada. It lies between the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the American border, and extends from Granby in the southwest, to Drummondv ...

, Quebec. This plant will work on the production of

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...

and

methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a ...

from forestry waste and biomass. It will also have a mandate to develop new products and act as a training centre. In 2014, Enerkem inaugurated its first full-scale facility in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada, for the conversion of household waste into biofuels and renewable chemicals. In 2016, it became the first ISCC-certified plant in the world to convert waste materials into biomethanol. In 2018, Enerkem joined a partnership consisting of

AkzoNobel Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, ...

, Van Gansewinkel,

Air Liquide Air Liquide S.A. (; ; literally "liquid air"), is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, after Linde it is ...

, AVR and Enerkem to build a waste treatment plant in

in collaboration with the

Port of Rotterdam The Port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe, and the world's largest seaport outside of East Asia, located in and near the city of Rotterdam, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004, it was the List o ...

, the City of Rotterdam, the Province of South Holland and

Innovation Quarter Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, formerly Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, is an innovation district focused on research, business and education in biomedical science, information technology, digital media, clinical services and a ...

. On July 12, 2019, Dominique Boies was appointed chief executive officer and Chief Financial Officer to replace Vincent Chornet, who died prematurely a few weeks earlier. Mr. Boies had served as the company's CFO since 2017. On December 8, 2020, Enerkem announced the construction of an $875 million biofuel plant in

, Quebec. In April 2021, Spain's

Repsol Repsol S.A.
El Nuevo Herald, 2012-05-31Originally an init ...

announced that it had partnered with Enerkem and Agbar (

Suez Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boun ...

) to build a waste-to-renewable chemicals plant in

, Spain. In June 2021, to meet growing demand from

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...

, Enerkem, and the

announced a shift in focus for the Rotterdam (Netherlands) projected plant to the production of sustainable

aviation fuel Aviation fuels are petroleum-based fuels, or petroleum and synthetic fuel blends, used to power aircraft. They have more stringent requirements than fuels used for ground use, such as heating and road transport, and contain additives to enhanc ...

Current and projected plants using Enerkem technology

Demonstration plant

* Westbury, Quebec: Operating since 2008, the Westbury plant is used for demonstration purposes, new product development and as a training centre for technicians and plant operators. In 2018, it successfully produced a high-performance

that could improve the

octane Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula , and the condensed structural formula . Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain. One of these isomers, 2,2,4-Tri ...

rating of fuels sold on the market and reduce their

carbon footprint A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...

. In the same year, the research and development team produced a clean and renewable bio-dimethyl ether ( bio-DME), derived from biomethanol, which could effectively contribute to the fight against

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

by replacing diesel fuel used in the transportation sector.

Commercial plant

*Edmonton, Alberta: In commissioning since 2016, this commercial facility is the first collaboration on such a scale between a major city and a producer of biofuels from waste. It has a daily processing capacity of 350 metric tonnes of waste material. It can produce some 38 million litres of ethanol per year. In 2017, a methanol-to-ethanol conversion unit was installed at the plant, which has enabled the production of biomethanol. Enerkem thus became the first company to produce

cellulosic ethanol Cellulosic ethanol is ethanol (ethyl alcohol) produced from cellulose (the stringy fiber of a plant) rather than from the plant's seeds or fruit. It can be produced from grasses, wood, algae, or other plants. It is generally discussed for use as a ...

from non-recyclable and non-compostable

Plant under construction

* Varennes, Quebec: Construction of the Varennes Carbon Recycling (VCR) plant is ongoing. The project is being carried out with a group of strategic partners including Enerkem as well as

, Proman and

. The

biorefinery A biorefinery is a refinery that converts biomass to energy and other beneficial byproducts (such as chemicals). The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 42 defined biorefining as "the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of bio ...

will benefit from a significant input of

green hydrogen Green hydrogen (GH2 or GH2) is hydrogen generated by renewable energy or from low-carbon power. Green hydrogen has significantly lower carbon emissions than grey hydrogen, which is produced by steam reforming of natural gas, which makes up the b ...

. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2023. Annually, it will be able to produce 125,000 tonnes of biofuels from 200,000 tonnes of biomass and non-recyclable residual materials from the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.

Planned plants

* El Morrell, Tarragona, Spain: In April 2021, the Spanish company

Repsol Repsol S.A.
El Nuevo Herald, 2012-05-31Originally an init ...

announced that it had partnered with Enerkem and Agbar (

) to build a waste-to-renewable-chemicals plant in El Morrell, Spain. The plant is planned to become operational in 2025 and will produce some 220,000 metric tons of methanol from approximately 400,000 metric tons of non-recyclable municipal solid waste. Final investment decision is pending. *Rotterdam, The Netherlands: In 2018, Enerkem joined a partnership of several large European companies to build a waste treatment plant in Rotterdam. In June 2021, to meet growing demand from

, Enerkem, and the

announced a shift in the focus of the Rotterdam plant to the production of sustainable aviation fuel. The project could process up to 360,000 tonnes of recycling waste per year and produce up to 80,000 tonnes of renewable products, of which about 75% could be sustainable aviation fuel and the rest could be road fuel or renewable chemicals. Final investment decision is pending.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Energy companies of Canada Biofuel producers Synthetic fuel facilities Companies based in Montreal Energy companies established in 2000 Renewable resource companies established in 2000 2000 establishments in Quebec Canadian companies established in 2000