Greenfield Global leverages Canadian ag clean-tech program funding for renewable diesel project

Photo: Greenfield Global Inc.

Greenfield Global Inc., Canada’s leading alcohol, solvent and biofuels producer, welcomed Francis Drouin, parliamentary secretary to the minister of agriculture and agrifood, to Greenfield’s sponsored laboratory space at the University of Alberta to share progress on a CAD$2 million agricultural waste-to-clean fuel project funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, Research and Innovation stream.

Greenfield, in close collaboration with the University of Alberta’s faculty of engineering, is leading the development of a new clean technology that will convert agricultural waste into renewable diesel fuel.

Promoting a circular agriculture economy, this technology has the potential of reducing the overall greenhouse-gas emissions in the agricultural and transportation sectors by up to 90 percent when compared to fossil-based diesel fuel.

“Climate-change solutions not only help the environment but can also improve the economy and support producers—and projects like this are a great example,” Drouin said. “This new technology will convert agricultural waste to renewable fuel, add value for producers and boost the energy industry, all while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.”

Howard Field, president and CEO of Greenfield Global, added, “Our R&D collaboration with the University of Alberta to produce drop-in, renewable diesel fuel from organic waste will allow farming, trucking, construction, standby generators, and other fossil fuel-intensive sectors to decarbonize, which is directly aligned with Canada’s climate-action plans and helping Canada achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Greenfield has been decarbonizing Canada’s light-duty vehicle emissions for decades, producing fuel ethanol from industrial corn that is blended into gasoline. We are dedicated to the ongoing development of state-of-the-art technology with our partners in research, agriculture and industry and we appreciate the government of Canada’s shared commitment and support for innovative and important climate technologies.”

Additional benefits of Greenfield’s technology include being feedstock agnostic and utilizing a spoke-and-hub approach to the collection of feedstocks, production of biocrude and the refining of biocrude into renewable diesel.

Three key contributors that supported Greenfield’s funding submission process and helped make this project possible were the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and the Grain Farmers of Ontario.

The collaboration of all parties involved will contribute to the successful commercialization of this technology, which will produce a sustainable liquid fuel, improve waste management and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.