Edmonton International Airport, SixRing partner to accelerate sustainable aviation

Signing of the MOU between Edmonton International Airport and SixRing Inc. (Photo: Edmonton International Airport)

Edmonton International Airport (YEG) in Alberta, Canada, and SixRing Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to commit to working together to advance the use of biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), in the aviation industry.

SixRing is a Calgary-based firm that has designed a technology platform to convert underutilized, non-food, biomass into a range of products for processing into biofuels including SAF.

The partnership between SixRing and Edmonton International Airport will support the development of a commercial-scale production facility in the Edmonton Metro Region.

“We need sustainable practices and innovative thinking to future-proof our industries,” said Myron Keehn, president and CEO of Edmonton International Airport. “We are proud to partner with like-minded organizations like SixRing to accelerate the use of sustainable aviation fuel in our region. SixRing’s suite of technology and innovative mindset is instrumental to the growth and development of sustainability standards in various industries, and we are thrilled to partner with them as we work to decarbonize the aviation sector.”

SixRing CEO Clay Purdy added, “SixRing is excited to deepen its partnership with Edmonton International Airport to develop a commercial-scale production facility within the Edmonton metro region. The Edmonton region is an ideal location to convert underutilized agricultural and forestry biomass into advanced biofuels, including SAF. YEG is also a proven sustainability leader, bringing global reach, deep institutional capacity and an unwavering commitment to decarbonizing the aviation sector.”

YEG is on its way to net-zero emissions by 2040 and is actively building partnerships and pathways for the adoption of emerging sustainable technologies.

YEG is Canada’s fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area, generating an economic output of over CAD$3.2 billion (USD$2.4 billion).

SixRing has designed a patented technology platform to convert underutilized, nonfood biomass into a range of products for processing into advanced biofuels, including SAF.

SixRing’s core technology is based on circular production principles and operates at ambient temperature and pressure.

These process characteristics translate into lower capex costs, increased scalability and effectively no waste outputs from the processed biomass.

The SixRing platform has been under development for nearly five years and has benefited from significant process optimization over the past 12 months via its demonstration facility financially supported by the governments of Alberta and Canada.