MONTREAL, QC — Enerkem, a waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company, yesterday participated in the sod-turning event held by its partners, the City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta, to signify the start of construction on their joint advanced energy research facility. The ceremony was hosted by the Honourable Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology in Alberta, and the Edmonton City Councillor, Tony Caterina.

The research facility is part of a comprehensive waste-to-biofuels initiative, which also includes a commercial waste-to-biofuels facility, to be built by Enerkem GreenField Alberta Biofuels, and a municipal waste processing facility, being built by the City of Edmonton.

The research facility, a collaboration between Enerkem, the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI), will focus on the conversion of various types of waste from industrial sectors and from the municipal sector, to produce green transportation fuels and chemicals. It will be adjacent to the commercial waste-to-biofuels production facility, which will soon begin construction and will at term produce 36 million litres of ethanol per year.

"Enerkem is proud to take part in this unprecedented project that will keep more waste out of landfills, will reduce GHG emissions and will allow for the production of green transportation fuels," said Vincent Chornet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enerkem. "The joint energy research facility and our commercial waste-to-biofuels production facility, demonstrate our company's leading position in waste processing and in the production of advanced biofuels."

Enerkem will conduct some of its advanced research at this research facility, which will be led by Dr. Esteban Chornet, co-founder of Enerkem and a world-leading scientist in the use of thermo catalysis for developing alternative fuels from waste. The research facility will include laboratory equipment and a well-instrumented pilot plant. Enerkem will develop the research facility in collaboration with the City of Edmonton. Construction completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2010. Funding for the $10 million center comes from the Government of Alberta through AERI.

For more information visit www.enerkem.com or www.aeri.ab.ca.

< Prev		Next >