Expander Energy announces progress in biomass-based eFuels project in Mackenzie, British Columbia

Expander Energy Inc. announced Nov. 27 that a letter of intent has been signed with East Fraser Fiber Co. Ltd. to secure the required biomass feedstock and land for the Mackenzie Biofuel Project, a proposed biomass electrolysis-to-liquids (BETL) bio-synfuel facility in Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada.   

BETL is an innovative, patented and patent-pending process for making low-carbon bio-synthetic fuels developed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Expander that leverages Expander’s technology for biomass gasification, bio-synthetic fuel production and electrolysis technology.  

The resulting fuel will be comprised entirely of carbon sourced from biogenic (atmospheric) sources and is expected to have very low lifecycle carbon intensity. 

The proposed facility will utilize the BETL technology to convert  84,000 dry metric tons per year of forestry wood waste  into 30 million liters (7.9 million gallons) per year of renewable diesel, renewable naphtha and bio-wax with lifecycle carbon intensity of the fuel to levels 80 percent lower than fossil equivalents—as low as 14 gCO2e/MJ using the BC Low Carbon Fuels Branch (BCLCFS) GHGenius LCA model.  

The biofuel production is intended to displace fossil-derived fuels and, according to Expander, could result in a net avoidance of up to 90,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.   

The 100-kilometer area surrounding Mackenzie has significant fiber resources.   

Expander said it will assess the potential to scale the Mackenzie Biofuel Project to process a total of 336,000 tons of dry biomass per year to produce 120 million liters (31.7 million gallons) per year of bio-synfuel production and net avoidance of 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. 

Growing global demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) makes the addition of synthetic paraffinic kerosene (FT-SPK) production to the facility commercially appealing, Expander stated.   

Expander said it is currently working with key strategic commercial partners from the aviation industry to assess initial market interest in 18 million liters (4.8 million gallons) per year of SAF, with potential opportunity to expand SAF to 72 million liters (19 million gallons) per year production.  

According to Expander, the Mackenzie Biofuel Project will become the first-of-a-kind low-carbon clean-fuel production in British Columbia and Canada using forestry woodwaste biomass (cellulose).    

This facility could meet much of the short-term SAF target for British Columbia, it stated. 

Expander also announced that community and Indigenous leaders and organizations have provided their support for the Mackenzie Biofuel Project.   

The McLeod Lake Indian Band and the district of Mackenzie have provided letters of support for further development of the project. 

The Mackenzie Biofuel Project is one of three projects identified in a feasibility study completed earlier this year.  

Expander aims to continue the development of the project with the goal to secure funding early in 2026, with production by 2029.   

Natural Resources Canada through the Clean Fuels Fund program supported the completion of a feasibility study that helped to identify several prospect locations across Canada, one of which was this Mackenzie site.   

The Clean Fuels Fund has also supported the front-end engineering design (FEED) study that is expected to be complete in early 2026 and will result in a comprehensive facility design, cost, schedule and business plan for the Mackenzie Biofuel Project.   

The completed facility will be a global showcase for next-generation biomass-based eFuel production, according to Expander.  

“We are thrilled to announce significant progress on the Mackenzie Biofuels Project,” said Steve Kresnyak, the executive vice president and chief technology officer for Expander Energy. “Over the past 18 months, our development team has worked tirelessly, and we are on track to complete the fully funded CAD$8 million (USD$5.7 million) FEED study by the first quarter of 2026. With land and feedstock secured, and strong support from key community and Indigenous leaders, we are now able to accelerate the project. In addition, Expander Energy is actively engaging with strategic partners to secure project funding. We look forward to sharing more details as these partnerships are finalized, marking another step toward delivering price-competitive biomass-based eFuels for industry and aviation.” 

Stephen Bushby, CNL’s vice president of science and technology, added, “It is truly exciting to see the BETL bio-synfuel process progress to this stage. Achieving this new supply agreement brings the technology another step closer towards the production of economical, ready-to-deploy renewable fuels. This project leverages Canada’s expertise and capabilities in hydrogen and hydrogen isotopes, originally built in support of the nuclear sector, to advance bold, innovative ideas towards deployment. This demonstrates the true spirit of collaboration, working together to overcome challenges and find solutions.” 

Ante Cirko, vice president of East Fraser Fiber, said, “East Fraser Fiber sees the production of biomass-based eFuels as an important compliment to existing commercial operations in the Mackenzie, B.C., area, with the potential for additional facilities at other Parallel Lumber Group facilities in Canada and the U.S.” 

Chief Harley Chingee of the MacLeod Lake Indian Band added, “The MacLeod Lake Indian Band is committed to environmentally responsible development of natural resources within our traditional lands that are consistent with the values of the Tse’khene people and provide significant economic opportunities in the region for decades to come.” 

Mackenzie Mayor Joan Atkinson said, “The district of Mackenzie is thrilled to welcome a biomass electrolysis-to-liquids plant to our community. The past few years have been extremely challenging as residents watched our tax base shrink and community members suffer job losses. The Mackenzie bio-synfuels facility is a huge step forward in promoting economic growth for our community and the region. Their advanced proven technology will also provide additional support to our forest industry with their utilization of forest-harvesting residuals. We are excited our community will be a participant in this sustainable solution that will reduce use of fossil fuels, while removing ‘wildfire fuels’ from the forests surrounding Mackenzie.”