Enerkem, Technip Energies collaborate on waste-to-biofuels, circular-chemicals technology deployment

Employees walking on site at Enerkem Alberta Biofuels (Photo: Merle Prosofsky)

Enerkem Inc. and Technip Energies have signed a memorandum of understanding to enter into a collaboration agreement aimed at accelerating the deployment of Enerkem’s technology platform for biofuels and circular-chemical products from nonrecyclable-waste materials.

Enerkem specializes in the development and commercialization of gasification technology transforming nonrecyclable waste into biofuels, low-carbon fuels and circular chemicals, catering to hard-to-abate sectors such as sustainable aviation and marine fuels.

Since 2016, Enerkem has been operating a commercial demonstration-scale facility in Alberta, Canada.

Additionally, the company is currently involved in the development and construction of new commercial-scale waste-to-methanol facilities in Canada and Europe.

Technip Energies, having successfully executed bio and low-carbon fuels projects worldwide, will contribute its expertise in engineering, technology integration and project delivery to support projects developed by Enerkem.

This partnership will enhance Enerkem’s project-delivery capacity and speed.

Furthermore, the collaboration will focus on strategic efforts to optimize design elements and industrialize the approach through the replication of Enerkem’s designs for future projects.

To expedite the deployment of its technology, Enerkem intends to establish a development company.

The purpose of the development company will be to acquire sites and secure relevant permits for the replicable methanol-biorefinery design, supporting the production of bio and low-carbon fuels as well as circular chemicals.

“We are excited to partner with Technip Energies to accelerate the deployment of Enerkem’s technology in Europe, North America and the Middle East,” said Dominique Boies, CEO of Enerkem. “Technip Energies’ extensive expertise will enable Enerkem’s clients to benefit from project speed to market and cost efficiencies, supporting their decarbonization efforts and sustainability goals.”

Bhaskar Patel, an executive with Technip Energies, added, “We are pleased to join forces with Enerkem on the deployment of its technology platform to convert waste into sustainable and valuable end products such as biofuels. By leveraging our expertise in engineering, sustainable chemistry and biofuels projects, we will support project execution and Enerkem’s technology deployment.”

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Montreal, Enerkem employs close to 300 people in Canada, the United States, Europe and the U.K., and has various projects worldwide, including the world’s first commercial-scale biorefinery producing advanced biomethanol and circular methanol from nonrecyclable waste in Alberta, Canada.

In partnership with key strategic partners, a large-scale facility based on Enerkem’s waste-to-methanol platform is under construction in Quebec, Canada, and is scheduled to start operations in 2025.

In Tarragona, Spain, Enerkem’s technology is at the heart of the Ecoplanta project, which will produce biomethanol and circular methanol from nonrecyclable waste.