TECHNOLOGY By Marie-Helene Labrie
cal processes, which convert organic intermediates to simple molecules—having the desired molecular characteristics (hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and carbon dioxide—the main constitutive molecules in synthetic gas). The superior mixing, which occurs in the bubbling fluidized bed used by Enerkem, generates high rates of heat and mass transfer which subsequently yield stable temperatures, resulting in well-controlled reaction kinetics. In addition, the feed material does not need to be completely uniform, since heat and mass transfer rates will, de facto, achieve fuel uniformity within the bed itself. Thus, Enerkem’s reactor is capable of handling feedstock that is not uniform, is geometrically dissimilar and is heterogeneous. Enerkem’s reactor is also efficiently sized due to high throughput rates facilitated by the design—a feature that contributes to the commercial viability of the Enerkem platform.
“In order to be cost competitive, the alternative to gasoline will need to be feedstock flexible,” says Enerkem CEO Vincent Chornet. “We believe that’s one of the main advantages of our technology: we’re able to use a wide range of feedstocks, allowing us to adapt to changing feedstock conditions should input prices or feedstock availability change significantly.”
Feedstock Flexibility at Work Enerkem’s recently announced plants in Edmonton, Alberta, and Mississippi demonstrate the range of projects facilitated by the diverse feedstocks its technology uses. Because Enerkem’s technology platform is designed to use nonhomogeneous waste as feedstock, the company is able to use negative-cost feedstock such as municipal solid waste (MSW) and used electricity poles. Municipalities actually pay Enerkem a fee, sometimes called a
“tipping fee,” to remove their waste and free up scarce landfill space, relieving municipalities of some costs related to waste disposal. “Our plants in Edmonton and Mississippi represent innovative waste management solutions for local governments,” Chornet says. “Converting their waste into a new transportation fuel option allows Enerkem to contribute to a greener economy and a more sustainable future for these municipalities. We believe that fostering fuel independence by producing fuels locally is important in addressing today’s environmental and economic challenges in both large, urban centers and smaller, more rural communities.” In June 2008, Enerkem GreenField Alberta Biofuels signed a 25-year agreement with the city of Edmonton to build and operate a plant that will produce and sell next-generation biofuels, including methanol and cellulosic ethanol, from sorted MSW. This is the world’s first