Project Overview

Dr. Bressler’s group at the University of Alberta has developed and patented the Lipid-to-Hydrocarbon (LTH) technology that converts a wide range of lipid feedstocks into platform chemicals and solvents, as well as drop-in naptha (gasoline) and distillate (diesel) fuels. The current project seeks to develop and test two technology pathways (TRL 7 by the end of the project) to produce drop-in biojet fuels as part of the LTH technology in collaboration with Profs. Luckert and Koch of the University of Alberta, CanmetENERGY Devon, and Forge Hydrocarbons Inc. our industry and commercialization partner. The project sets up advanced biofuels analytical and property testing suite.

The technology developed will target primarily the commercial aviation where the use of renewable jet fuel (biojet) is considered as one of the primary routes for reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. Additionally, since the technology will utilize waste and inedible lipid feedstock, it will provide a market for rendering industries as well as brown grease, distillers corn oil, and off grade oil seeds such as canola.

Goals & Objectives

  • Develop and test commercially viable drop-in biojet fuels as part of the product portfolio of the patented LHT process
  • Setup an advanced analytical suite for biofuel composition and property testing available for use by the wider academic community and industry
  • Validate environmental benefits of biojet technologies developed through comprehensive life cycle GHG assessment
  • Develop and validate economic model integrating price series and site location analysis for the biojet technologies developed that can be translated to other biojet technologies

Benefits to Alberta

  • Leveraged Investment of Alberta Innovates funds to Federal investment through Western Economic Development, Future Energy Systems and Natural Resource Canada, and Forge Hydrocarbons Inc. to develop a novel biojet fuel pathways in Alberta.
  • Project directly employs 4 fulltime STEM employees and 6 HQPs
  • Potential benefit through commercialization of the technology in Alberta could result in approximately $133 million in revenue, 63 direct and 31 indirect job by 2030
  • Potential 0.94 mega tonnes CO2e/year reduction in GHG emission through commercialization of the technology

Funding Partners