Canada's Ensyn and Tolko to Jointly Establish World's Largest Fast Pyrolysis Plant

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Biomass technology company Ensyn Technologies Incorporated (Ottawa, Canada), a subsidiary of Ensyn Corporation (Wilmington, Delaware), and forest products company Tolko Industries Limited (Vernon, British Columbia) recently announced a partnership known as the High North BioResources Limited Partnership (High North). The partnership has been set up to build the world's largest fast pyrolysis plant in High Level, Alberta. The estimated cost of the project is $76 million and, subject to regulatory approval, the plant is expected to be ready for operations by 2012.

The proposed pyrolysis plant is expected to have the capacity to process 400 bone-dry tons of biomass per day and produce 85 million liters per year of pyrolysis oil, which will be used as a renewable energy source to generate electricity and heat. Tolko's sawmill at High Level will utilize a large part of the heat and electricity, while the remainder will be used to power the 3,800 households in the area. The pyrolysis plant also will produce a renewable resin ingredient that can be used in the manufacture of wood-panel products. High North will begin the regulatory approval process for the proposed project without delay. The project will be developed at Tolko's sawmill complex.

Pyrolysis oil is a synthetic liquid fuel that is extracted from biomass through a biomass-to-liquid technology. It is distinctly different from similar petroleum products since its oxygen levels are too high to classify it as a hydrocarbon. From an economic standpoint, it is prudent to extract the biochemical component of pyrolysis oil before using the remaining bio-oil to generate electricity and heat. It also can be used as a source of syngas that can be processed to yield clean fuels and chemicals.

The pyrolysis oil plant will be based on Ensyn's proprietary Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) technology, which is the only fast pyrolysis technology that has a proven track record of having been used commercially on a long-term basis. The technology converts biomass to liquid in less than two seconds. RTP is an anaerobic thermal process whereby biomass, made up of residual forestry or agricultural biomass, is rapidly heated to a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius by a tornado of hot sand, and then cooled just as rapidly. A relatively high yield (about 75%) of pourable liquid biofuel is generated during the process. Char and non-condensable gas are byproducts of the process. Both can be used as sources of process energy for the re-heater to continue the RTP process, or they can be used in the dryer to treat the biomass. The RTP technology is being marketed worldwide by Envergent Technologies LLC (Des Plaines, Illinois). The technology is currently being commercially used in seven biomass plants in Canada and the U.S.

Envergent Technologies is a joint venture company (JVC) formed in 2008 by Ensyn Corporation and UOP LLC (Des Plaines), a subsidiary of Honeywell Specialty Materials (Morris Town, New Jersey), which again is a business division of diversified technology and manufacturing company Honeywell International Incorporated (NYSE:HON) (Morris Town). The JVC was established with the objective of deploying Ensyn's proprietary RTP technology globally and to develop a complementary technology that could convert pyrolysis oil into transportation fuels.

Ensyn Technologies is a global leader in fast pyrolysis and in the production of pyrolysis oil from agricultural and forestry biomass. The company's RTP technology has been in use since 1989 to produce pyrolysis oil for biochemical and bioenergy applications.

Tolko Industries is a major player in the production and marketing of lumber, plywood, veneer, specialty kraft papers and oriented strand board (OSB). The company's manufacturing facilities are spread across the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Tolko's products are exported to 20 countries across Asia, Australia, Europe and the two Americas.

Speaking about the recently formed Ensyn-Tolko partnership, President and CEO Brad Thorlakson of Tolko said: "This partnership is a strategic fit for Tolko's existing business. It is an example of transformative innovation that can benefit the forest products industry and the environment."

View Project Report - 300012805

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.