Biogas Production – an integral part of an evolving integrated biorefinery complex in Québec
This case story – developed in the frame of IEA Bioenergy Task 37 (Energy from Biogas) – show the evolution of an integrated biorefinery complex in Varennes, Québec, Canada.
In 2007, Greenfield Québec Inc. built the first plant to produce fuel grade ethanol from locally produced grain corn in Varennes. All parts of the grain corn are valued and converted into marketable products. In 2018, an organic waste treatment center using anaerobic digestion technology (SÉMECS Center) was commissioned adjacent to the ethanol plant, and, in 2024, the biogas plant was expanded to treat 120,000 tonnes per annum of source-separated organic materials, and organic fractions of industrial and commercial waste from the region. The direct use of biogas produced at SÉMECS Center has made it possible to reduce the carbon intensity of the fuel-grade ethanol produced at the Varennes plant. Plans are in place to completely eliminate the use of fossil fuels by 2027.
As the integrated Varennes biorefinery complex continues to evolve, the co-location of anaerobic treatment of local municipal and industrial waste continues to play a key role. Initially, the SÉMECS Center was a source of renewable energy and recovered valuable nutrients from solid waste, and next it will also supply biogenic CO2 for methanol production. This biorefinery complex demonstrates how creative industrial design can generate income, create new permanent employment, produce renewable fuels, reduce greenhouse gases, extract value from waste and contribute to the circular economy.
Greenfield Global Biorefinery Complex in Varennes, Québec (Canada).
