Just days after biofuels developer Enerkem Corporation filed papers to go public, the company announced the Provincial Government of Quebec has committed $27 million to build a commercial cellulosic ethanol plant using Enerkem's technology.
Enerkem and partner GreenField Ethanol will build and operate the new facility in Varennes, Quebec. The plant will use Enerkem's patented technology to convert municipal waste into approximately 10 million gallons of biofuel a year.
With this news, Enerkem continues to pick up momentum. The company is building its first full-scale waste-to-biofuel facility in Edmonton, Alberta and is developing another in Mississippi. On Friday of last week, the company announced an initial public offering (IPO) to be listed on the Nasdaq worth an estimated $125 million.
The Varennes plant will be the first of its kind in Quebec and will join Enerkem's other operations based in the province, including the company's headquarters and a commercial demonstration facility. When complete, the biorefinery will reduce the province's carbon footprint by an estimated 110,000 tons a year helping Quebec reach its greenhouse gases reduction targets.
"Québec has resolved to reduce, by 2020, its greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels, as part of its 2006-2012 Climate Change Action Plan.
"We believe we can be productive and create wealth and jobs, all while protecting our environment. The construction of the cellulosic ethanol facility belonging to the joint venture formed by Enerkem and GreenField Ethanol, is one step closer towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. It is with solid and structured projects, such as the one presented today, that Québec will reassert its leadership in a green and sustainable economy," commented Sam Hamad, Minister of Transports.
Image Credit: eschipul via Flickr.
Joseph Baker is a freelance writer living in Vancouver BC. His areas of focus include renewable energy, sustainability and climate change.
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