Area Development
A company that manufactures biofuels and renewable chemicals from waste, Enerkem, started the gradual commissioning of its full-scale municipal waste-to-biofuels and chemicals facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

"Beginning the commissioning of front-end components at Enerkem Alberta Biofuels is a major milestone and we are proud of all the work accomplished to date", said Vincent Chornet, President and CEO of Enerkem. "We also believe that this game-changing facility, built in partnership with the City of Edmonton, can become a model for many communities around the world that are looking for a sustainable way to manage waste."

Enerkem Alberta Biofuels is among the world's first commercial facilities to be built for the production of advanced biofuels. During construction, more than 600 direct and indirect jobs were created across North America for the modular manufacturing of its parts and systems and on-site assembly, the company said.

Construction of the facility is nearing completion and Enerkem will complete the commissioning during the next few months. Production of biomethanol will start gradually during this period. An ethanol module will be added in 2014.

With its proprietary technology, Enerkem converts non recyclable municipal solid waste into methanol, ethanol and other widely used chemical intermediates. This facility is a collaboration between Enerkem, the City of Edmonton and Alberta Innovates - Energy and Environment Solutions. When fully operational, it will have a production capacity of up to 38 million litres per year and will help the City of Edmonton divert 90 percent of the residential waste stream from landfill.