Facilities & Projects

 

Varennes, Québec, Canada 

In December 2020, Enerkem announced the construction of a more than C$1 billion biofuels plant in Varennes with a group of strategic partners including Shell, Suncor and Proman, and with the support of the governments of Quebec and Canada. Varennes Carbon Recycling (VCR), will produce biofuels and renewable chemicals made from non-recyclable residual materials as well as wood waste. 

Enerkem’s proprietary thermochemical process will enable the recycling of the carbon and hydrogen contained in non-recyclable waste and wood waste currently landfilled or burned. The plant incorporates one of the world’s largest electrolyzers, which will enable the use of renewable hydrogen and oxygen in its thermochemical process.

In addition to providing a second life to waste material, VRC will expand the overall supply of alternative fuels and increase biofuel production in Québec increasing its leadership in renewable energy and innovation. 

Commissioning of the first phase is scheduled for 2025.

Current stage: under construction

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Enerkem Alberta Biofuels located in Edmonton, Canada, is the world’s first major collaboration between a large city and an innovative waste-to-biofuels producer. Together, Enerkem and the City of Edmonton address the non-recyclable and non-compostable waste disposal challenge by diverting household waste destined to landfills.

In 2016, the facility obtained certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system. In 2017, the Enerkem Alberta Biofuels facility received the lowest carbon intensity value ever issued by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines under the Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Regulation. It is also the first-ever waste-to-biofuel facility to sell its ethanol under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard after receiving registration approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017.

Current stage: in commission

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Based on substantial targets and demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), the consortium comprised of Enerkem, the Port of Rotterdam and Shell is looking to build a waste-to-jet plant in Rotterdam.

The project would process up to 360,000 tonnes per annum of recycling rejects and produce up to 80,000 tonnes of renewable products, of which around 75% could be SAF and the remainder used for road fuels or to feed circular chemicals production.

Current stage: in development, pending Final Investment Decision (FID)

 

Tarragona, Spain

Enerkem and Repsol will build the first waste to chemicals plant on the Iberian Peninsula in El Morell (Tarragona), Spain. This is a pioneering renewable chemical industry project. The facility will be the first of its kind in Spain dedicated to the commercial production of green methanol from secondary raw materials derived mostly from pretreated non-recoverable waste. Under the joint venture Ecoplanta Molecular Recycling Solutions, the plant will process around 400,000 tons of non-recyclable solid waste from its surrounding regions and produce 220,000 tons of methanol.

Current stage: in development, pending Final Investment Decision (FID)