New ethanol plant begins operations in Ontario

Brantford, Ontario-based Energentium Inc. is starting up its new 15 MMly (4 MMgy) ethanol plant. The facility recycles waste beer and soft drinks into ethanol. In addition to taking in waste beverages as feedstock, the system can also be adapted to use other food wastes, such as fruit and vegetables, jams, syrups, sugars and candies. 

The plant is distinctive in several ways beyond its feedsock. For example, it incorporates reverse osmosis in a unique manner, which Phil Artman, the company’s general manger, describes as very energy efficient. “It actually produces energy in the ethanol distillation process,” he said. 

“Many companies are paying growing penalties to the government for the waste-material dumping and even bigger penalties in public relations in the public eye,” Artman said, noting the plant uses “technology that will not only make ethanol from waste materials in an efficient way, but create additional byproducts such as electricity, animal feed, omega-3 oils and CO2, to name just a few.”