Edmonton will be home to the world’s first industrial scale facility to produce biofuels from municipal solid waste. The City has signed a 25-year agreement with GreenField Ethanol, Canada’s largest ethanol producer and Enerkem, a leading biofuels technology company.

The $70 million biofuels facility will initially produce 36 million litres of biofuels per year and reduce Alberta’s carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint by more than 6 million tonnes over the next 25 years - the equivalent of removing 12,000 cars off the road every year.

“This facility is another fine example for the world that Alberta is a great place for companies to bring newly commercialized technology to the marketplace,” said Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. “All of the partners can be pleased that they are part of a facility that is taking a lead role in developing innovative technologies and making a real difference for the environment.”

The City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI) are contributing $20 million to the facility. The City of Edmonton will also contribute $50 million to a related processing facility and research facility. AERI’s total contribution to all the components is $29 million.

“This unique partnership with private companies and the provincial government builds on our global leadership in municipal waste management,” said Edmonton Mayor, Stephen Mandel. “It will enable us to make a noted contribution to reducing greenhouse gases and become the first major city in North America to achieve 90 percent residential waste diversion from landfill. We are also excited to be proceeding with the calibre of this partnership and look forward to seeing this facility on stream in the near future.”

“This new facility will be a first for both the biofuels and waste management industries. This is the world’s first agreement signed between a large urban centre and a biofuel producer to turn municipal waste into ethanol,” said Vincent Chornet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enerkem. “Edmonton is a pioneer in waste management practices and it is setting new standards for other municipalities. We are proud to be working with Edmonton, Greenfield Ethanol and the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Energy Research Institute as partners on this exciting project.”

“This next generation biofuels facility will offer drivers a new choice in transportation fuels,” said Donald Pierce, President of Greenfield Ethanol’s Advanced Biofuels Group. “Greenfield is thrilled to be leading in the development of next generation ethanol along with partners Enerkem, the City of Edmonton and the Province of Alberta—world leaders in providing innovative technologies that help build a sustainable future.”

This plant is the first to be announced by Greenfield Ethanol and Enerkem since the recent announcement of their partnership to jointly design, build and operate commercial next generation ethanol plants.