$76.8 million advanced biofuel demonstration plant coming to Norway

A (CDN) $76.8 million (€50.7 million) industrial scale advanced biofuel demonstration plant will be constructed at a former pulp mill in Tofte, Norway. The new facility is apparently a step towards the creation of a commercial scale project.

Danish-Canadian clean-fuel company Steeper Energy is partnering with Silva Green Fuel, a Norwegian-Swedish joint venture, on the project. Steeper will license its proprietary Hydrofaction technology to Silva, who will construct the facility over the next 18 months.

Feedstock for the plant will be woody residues which are converted to renewable crude oil before being upgraded to renewable diesel, jet or marine fuel. Silva selected Steeper’s Hydrofaction system following a review of around 40 other technologies.

According to a statement, the partnership between Silva and Steeper aims to verify data and design protocols in order to de-risk future commercial scale facilities planned to be built by Silva. The technology will eventually be offered by Steeper to other biofuel project developers around the globe.

“This partnership positions Steeper Energy as a leader in providing advanced renewable fuels that can not only help reduce net carbon emissions, but also produce in-demand renewable diesel for use in heavy and long-haul transport sectors,” said Perry Toms, Steeper Energy’s co-founder and CEO.

“We are providing a cost-effective solution to address carbon reduction targets for this crucial segment of the economy.” 

Currently, Steeper is actively entertaining partnerships with biomass aggregators or energy producers to develop commercial-scale projects. According to the company, as well as low value forestry byproducts such as forest residues, its technology can utilise other feedstocks such as urban organic wastes, agricultural residues, animal manure and algae.