Enerkem plans $200m waste-to-fuel facility in US

Enerkem, a Canadian waste-to-biofuels and chemicals producer, has proposed a $200 million waste-to-fuel facility in Minnesota, US, according to a report by CanTechLetter. The proposal was done in partnership with US-based recycling company SKB Environmental.

Enerkem recently submitted rezoning and land use plan amendment applications to the municipality of Rosemount, the report says. The facility would be located next to an SKB landfill on land that is currently zoned for agricultural use.

The plant was presented by Enerkem to Rosemount City Council in May after SKB, a The Woodland, Texas-based Waste Connections company, approached them, according to the report. The plant would employ around 100 people.

The plant is being designed to process around 400,000 tonnes of solid waste per year and is being projected to produce 100 gallons of ethanol for every tonne of waste it processes, the report claimed. It is designed to have a capacity of up to 93 garbage trucks arriving daily from nearby municipalities.

Rosemount City Council is in the process of studying a report concerning traffic, traffic impact, noise, zoning and land use details. According to the report, it could take several months for the council to approve the project and construction would take around 12 to 16 months.

Enerkem projects a starting construction date in the third quarter of 2018.

Enerkem has also completed construction on an $80 million waste processing plant in Edmonton, Alberta, after several delays, the report maintained. The city of Edmonton expects the facility to start running by next year.