New biomass-powered ethanol plant primed

Canadian-based Woodland Biofuels says its new demonstration plant is up and could be producing ethanol by the end of this year.

The new facility will use wood waste as feedstock and is based at the Western University Research Park’s Bioindustrial Innovation Centre in Sarnia. It will create 10 operational jobs while it employed 25 people during construction.

‘It’s all assembled and commissioning is underway,’ adds Woodland president Greg Nuttall. ‘We expect to be producing ethanol by the end of this year, or early next year. Wood waste is our initial feedstock but we could take any kind of biomass, including agricultural waste.’

Around CA$4 million (€3.1 million) was given by the Ontario Innovation demonstration Fund to help bring the plant to realisation.