By Alex McCuaig

Renewable diesel

New concept in renewable fuel could be coming to the Hat

Jan 13, 2020 | 8:25 AM

Medicine Hat, AB – A new concept in the recyclability of waste is moving past the concept phase and into reality with Medicine Hat a possibly venue for the new venture.

Grande Prairie-based Renewable U Energy and Red Deer’s Cielo Waste Solutions have taken their concept of turning waste into diesel fuel and seen success at its test facility Aldersyde south of Calgary.

Now the company is looking to build out fully fledged facilities in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

Renewable U Energy CEO Lionel Robins says the Aldersyde facility has shown the technology works and now the two companies are looking to expand by looking at venues in which they can take landfill waste and turn it into diesel fuel.

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“We’ve gotten to the point now where the technology is proven out,” said Robins.

He added that it will take a while yet to put the finishing touches on engineering of a full-sized facility which will take 12 to 18 months to build.

“In terms of jobs, the actual construction of the refinery itself will create a fair amount of jobs – probably 40 to 50 jobs through the construction phase – and then once the plant is built and commissioned, then there is probably about 25 to 30 full-time jobs,” said Robins.

And while that job creation has a positive impact in the local community, on the back end, it could save the city money by diverting waste from the Medicine Hat landfill.

The process utilizes both heat and a catalyst to convert the waste into fuel, something Robins says will require a stable power source, something the companies would like to see come from renewable energy sources.

Robins says the feedstock waste material that can be used is expansive outside of rocks, glass and metals.

“Anything else – rubber, plastics, municipal solid waste – just about anything,” said Robins.

He explained the process sees the waste ground into a powder, mixed with used motor oil, heated and then interacts with a catalyst that breaks down the material at the molecular level.

“Then it recovers what we need to convert it into diesel, kerosene and naphtha,” said Robins.

He added discussions with the city have been going well and is hopeful the project can be established in a multitude of regions.