Envergent begins construction on RTP green fuel facility in Canada

Envergent Technologies, a joint venture of Honeywell UOP and Ensyn Corp., has begun construction on a renewable fuels facility in Quebec, Canada.

The project, located at Port Cartier, will incorporate Envergent's proprietary RTP technology and will convert forest residues from local sources into liquid green fuel for institutional and industrial heating.

The product also acts as a renewable refinery feedstock for the production of low-carbon transportation fuels.

"The value of the RTP technology is that it's a proven and efficient method to convert lower-value forest residuals into a higher-value liquid fuel," said Robert Rose, managing director for Envergent.

"The RTP process converts biomass such as agricultural and forest residuals into a transportable and nearly carbon-neutral liquid fuel."

The Cote Nord project, which is being developed by Ensyn, Arbec Forest Products, and Groupe Remabec, is the first of several production plants under development by Ensyn and its partners to expand the production of RTP green fuel for energy applications.

When the facility in Port Cartier is completed late next year, it will convert 65,000 dry tonnes per year of forest residues to approximately 10 million gallons – or approximately 40 million litres – per year of RTP green fuel.

The Cote Nord project is the first purpose-built facility for the production of RTP green fuel for heating, cooling, and refinery applications.

RTP green fuel has compelling environmental benefits, including displacement of conventional fossil fuels and a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, renewable transportation fuels such as petrol and diesel made from RTP green fuel have a carbon intensity that is approximately 70% less than petroleum-based fuels.

RTP green fuel is made from non-edible woody biomass, avoiding competition for materials used in the cultivation of food and animal feeds.

In addition, the production of fuels from forest slash using the RTP process allows for optimised pre-commercial forest thinning strategies, reducing the risk of forest fires and allowing for enhanced forest management practices.