BIC approves investment in biodiesel company Benefuel

Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) has been working with Benefuel for a number of years, providing advice and services in anticipation of Benefuel’s decision to build its first, commercial-scale ENSEL plant in Sarnia, Ont.

BIC believes the global trend towards low carbon transportation fuels, favourably positions Benefuel today. The ENSEL process combines the two main reactions for biodiesel production, esterification and trans-esterification, into a single step. This allows Benefuel to use a broad range of low cost, low carbon feedstocks resulting, in a negative carbon intensity fuel, when measured using the GHGenius model.

Based on BIC’s assessment of Benefuel’s technology and business plan, BIC has approved an investment as part of Benefuel’s current financing round. This investment will allow Benefuel to complete the engineering needed as a final step before the construction of its first, commercial demonstration plant in Sarnia.

“Ontario is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its transportation fuel pool,” says Sandy Marshall, executive director of BIC. “We recognize the need for low carbon transportation fuels and Benefuel provides an important step forward to meet these goals.”

“Benefuel is excited to develop its first commercial refinery in Sarnia,” says Rob Tripp, CEO of Benefuel. “After almost two years of operation of a large-scale demonstration plant in Nebraska, we are incorporating those operational learnings into an enhanced, modular refinery design that will serve as the foundation for our growth here in Sarnia and abroad. The modular design will allow us to develop projects faster, with lower costs and higher quality. Sarnia is an excellent choice of location due to its considerable infrastructure of services, contractors, module fabricators and overall talent pool of skilled resources for operations.”