Enerkem, with a group of strategic partners, that include major investor Shell, along with Suncor and Proman, and Hydro-Qu茅bec supplying green hydrogen and oxygen, and with the support of the Qu茅bec and Canadian governments, announce the proposed construction of a biofuel plant in Varennes, in the Greater Montr茅al area.
Varennes Carbon Recycling (VCR) will produce biofuels and renewable chemicals made from non-recyclable residual materials as well as wood waste. The plant will leverage green hydrogen and oxygen produced through electrolysis, transforming Quebec鈥檚 excess hydroelectricity capacity into value-added biofuels and renewable chemicals. VCR will be a major creator of quality local direct and indirect jobs during its construction and operation.
The plant will be an example of Qu茅bec and Canadian know-how and leadership in the development and deployment of innovative clean technologies. Thanks to its unprecedented technology, Enerkem was able to bring together world-class global strategic partners who intend to take a leading investment role in this flagship facility of the green economy. This plant will produce one of the lowest carbon-intensive fuels by diverting non-recyclable waste as well as wood waste materials from landfills and through access to green electricity and green hydrogen and oxygen.
Enerkem鈥檚 technology enables the recycling of the carbon and hydrogen contained in non-recyclable waste and wood waste聽currently landfilled and聽burned.聽Enerkem鈥檚 proprietary thermochemical process enables the conversion of this carbon into biofuels and renewable chemicals, made from methanol, which is the project鈥檚 intermediary product.聽These products enable society to reduce consumption of traditional hydrocarbons used for transportation and in everyday products聽(paint, windshield washer fluid, plastics and chemicals of all kinds).
The proposed Varennes plant will support Qu茅bec’s Plan pour une 茅conomie verte 2030 (PEV 2030), Qu茅bec鈥檚 energy policy, and is in line with the government鈥檚 desire to pursue the development of a circular economy less dependent on fossil fuel products (40% reduction by 2030). In addition to providing a second life to waste material, it will expand the overall supply of alternative fuels and increase biofuel production in Qu茅bec increasing its leadership in renewable energy and innovation.
鈥淲e are proud to partner with leading international energy and chemical industry players and to benefit from the support of our federal and provincial governments and the City of Varennes.聽 This strong support validates the uniqueness of our gasification technology to enable the production of circular synthesis gas.聽 It is a major achievement for Enerkem to have its second full-scale commercial plant become a reality, showcasing our unique clean disruptive technology that transforms waste to biofuels and renewable chemicals. We have learned a great deal from our initial pilot project in Westbury, Qu茅bec and our first commercial demonstration plant in Edmonton, Alberta,” says聽Dominique Boies, CEO and CFO of Enerkem.
Michael Crothers, Shell Canada President and Country Chair, comments,聽鈥淪hell Canada is delighted with the proposed partnership with Enerkem, a leading Canadian cleantech company, and we see this as a step forward towards a net-zero emissions future.聽By converting non-recyclable waste and wood waste to low-carbon fuels, we can reduce the carbon footprint of energy used by Canadians every day.聽 We are grateful for the collaboration with the Government of Qu茅bec, the Government of Canada and our prospective partners, and hope to develop other projects with Enerkem in the future.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to continue our journey with Enerkem, another example of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. Over the last few years we鈥檝e worked together to help ramp up the Enerkem Alberta Biofuels plant and now looking to Varennes, we鈥檙e excited to progress the production of biofuels domestically and internationally. Suncor has a long history in the Montr茅al area dating back to 1919 and this kind of innovative technology will help us play a role in the future low-carbon economy for many more years to come,” says聽Martha Hall Findlay, Chief Sustainability Officer for Suncor.
鈥淎s the world鈥檚 second largest methanol producer, Proman is excited at the prospect to team up with such distinguished partners on this聽proposed waste-to-methanol and biofuels project. The further implementation of Enerkem鈥檚 unique waste gasification technology will be a significant step towards enabling the wider availability of highly聽sustainable bio-methanol, as part of the global low-carbon energy transition.聽We are thankful to Enerkem and the other potential partners for giving us the opportunity to bring Proman鈥檚 extensive industry experience and marketing expertise in support of this flagship circular economy project, and especially want to thank the Qu茅bec and Canadian governments for their commitment to this innovative project,” says聽David Cassidy, Chief Executive of Proman.