Highbury Energy, WBCEC advance biomass-to-fuels project in Ontario, Canada
- Emerging Fuels Technology
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Emerging Fuels Technology Inc. provided an update in September on its master-license agreement with Highbury Energy Inc. signed in January, which included a site-license agreement for a biomass-to-fuels project in partnership with Wanagekong-Biiwega’iganan Clean Energy Corp.
WBCEC—an Indigenous-led, industry-supported consortium—has completed its front-end engineering design (FEED) study, validating both the technology and business model, according to EFT.
With that milestone achieved, the project is advancing into final design and engineering for a CAD$210 million (USD$152.8 million) sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel facility in Fort Frances, Ontario.
According to EFT, this first-of-a-kind biorefinery will:
Produce SAF and renewable diesel using woody biomass.
Create 84 direct and indirect jobs while supporting Canada’s forestry sector.
Provide long-term economic opportunities for the 10 First Nation communities that collectively own 80 percent of WBCEC.
Deliver net-zero carbon-intensity fuels that align with Canada’s low-carbon mandates.
Improve forest management by reducing fire risk and creating value from residual wood fiber left after harvesting.
The Fort Frances-based project is expected to be commissioned in 2028 and, according to EFT, will position Northern Ontario as a leader in climate solutions and low carbon-intensity renewable fuel production.
“This game-changing partnership combines Highbury Energy’s and EFT's cutting-edge technologies with the strength of 10 First Nation communities—backed by all levels of government,” said Highbury CEO Len Bykowski.
“At Emerging Fuels Technology, we are proud to see our Fischer-Tropsch technology platform enabling this milestone, bringing practical, scalable decarbonization closer to reality,” EFT stated.
Developed at the University of British Columbia, Highbury’s patented dual-fluidized-bed steam-gasification technology has been proven effective through six years of pilot testing at the UBC campus, according to EFT.
Backed by 14 years of R&D, lab and pilot-plant development, testing and operations, and its intellectual-property portfolio that includes three patents and 19 proprietary white papers, Highbury’s technology converts diverse biomass feedstocks into a high-grade, medium BTU renewable fuel gas without requiring supplemental oxygen.
