FORGE announces an investment from Shell Ventures to build a first-of-its-kind biofuel production plant in Canada
Type of post: NEWS.
FORGE
Hydrocarbons Corp (FORGE) has announced an equity investment from Shell
Ventures and a follow-on contribution from Valent
Low-Carbon Technologies, which will help build a first-of-its-kind commercial-scale,
biofuel production plant in Canada.
Company announcement: “FORGE announces investment from
Shell Ventures and Valent Low-Carbon Technologies”, 13/2/2020.
Figure 1. FORGE LTH
Technology.
It is capable of transforming waste fats and other low value
organic oils into hydrocarbons that are indistinguishable from petroleum-based
hydrocarbons, without any catalyst or hydrogen.
Location
|
Sombra (Ontario).
|
Production
capacity
|
7.5
million gallons of renewable fuels annually.
|
Total investment
|
30
million C$.
|
Employment
effect
|
- 150
construction and engineering jobs during the build phase.
- More
than 45 full-time jobs for the commercial operation of the facility.
|
The technology
FORGE is a University of Alberta spin-off
company based on a proprietary Lipid-to-Hydrocarbon (LTH) technology that
offers an innovative approach to producing a cost effective “drop-in” renewable
diesel fuel. FORGE’s patented LTH technology is capable of transforming waste
fats and other low value organic oils into hydrocarbons that are
indistinguishable from petroleum-based hydrocarbons, without any catalyst or
hydrogen. The technology was invented by Dr. David Bressler at the University
of Alberta. It was licensed through TEC Edmonton to FORGE which was founded by
biofuels entrepreneur Tim Haig, also founder of BIOX Corp, Canada’s first
commercial renewable diesel company, now a part of World Energy.
His patented conversion process uses
high-temperature chemistry whereby the feedstock is heated with water to create
a mixture of fatty acids and glycerol. Once the mixture is cooled, the fatty
acids are separated from the glycerol and water. Those fatty acids are then
heated to a point at which the oxygen contained within them is released. Once
the oxygen is removed, the fatty acid becomes a hydrocarbon. Further processing
converts the hydrocarbon into the desired fuel such as gasoline, natural gas,
jet fuel, diesel, lubricating oil, solvents or diluents.
The support
Shell Ventures joins FORGE’s funders and
collaborators including World Energy, Lockheed
Martin, Valent Low-Carbon
Technologies and Sustainable
Development Technology Canada. The research, development and first pilot facility were made
possible by a series of provincial and federal investments from Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Western
Economic Diversification Canada, Alberta Economic
Development, Trade and Tourism, Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, Alberta Innovates, Future Energy
Systems: University of Alberta, Natural
Resources Canada and Mitacs.