Alder Renewables, Bioénergie AECN announce project to unlock SAF production in Québec

Alder Renewables and Bioénergie AE Côte-Nord announced May 8 a strategic partnership to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from sawmill residues in Port-Cartier, Québec, Canada.  

This new project, called Project Avance, will establish one of the first biomass-to-SAF production facilities in North America. 

“Project Avance represents a pivotal moment in sustainable aviation,” said Darren Fuller, Alder Renewables’ chief commercial officer. “By converting underutilized and sustainably sourced forest residuals into high-value renewable fuels, we’re creating a solution that reduces greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional jet fuel. Our technology creates a novel viable pathway to help aviation meet its ambitious decarbonization goals, maximizes optionality for our refiners and supports job growth in regional Québec communities.”  

Project Avance will deploy Alder Renewables’ proprietary technology to convert bio-oil currently produced at the Port-Cartier Bioénergie AECN plant, which is a joint venture between sawmill operator Arbec Forest Products and integrated forestry operations company Groupe Rémabec.  

The project will demonstrate the entire pathway from certified sustainable forest residuals into low-carbon Alder Renewable Crude, which will then be refined into SAF and other low-carbon transportation fuels.  

Production is expected to begin in 2027. 

“This new project embodies Canada and Québec’s commitments to developing innovative clean-energy solutions from forest residues and will create high-paying jobs in the sustainable energy sector,” Alder Renewables stated. “It leverages existing forestry infrastructure and aligns with Canada’s Aviation Action Plan, which calls for 1 billion liters (approximately 264 million gallons) of SAF by 2030.” 

Serge Mercier, the president of Bioénergie AECN, said, “This partnership is another important step forward for Arbec Forest Products and Groupe Rémabec’s vision and strategic plan to transform the forestry industry. Project Avance will be located at Arbec Lumber’s integrated plant, which currently supports sustainable technologies to produce both renewable fuel oil and biochar. Our facility in Port-Cartier already converts forest and sawmill residuals into bio-oil renewable products—Project Avance will take this to the next level. The technology that we will utilize with our friends at Alder Renewables has the potential for full commercial deployment across Québec’s forest regions, creating new revenue streams for a legacy industry and helping to decarbonize one of the hardest-to-abate sectors—aviation.”  

The project team is currently working to secure additional support from both the Canadian federal and Québec provincial governments.  

Project Avance is expected to become an innovation hub for SAF development, offering testing and certification capabilities for other renewable fuel technologies and establishing Québec as a leader in sustainable aviation solutions, according to Alder Renewables.