Canadian firm may fulfill Zapopan's ethanol dreams

ZAPOPAN - A Canadian biofuels and green chemicals technology company will shortly begin talks with Zapopan officials in a bid to establish the first plant in the municipality capable of converting garbage into ethanol.

Zapopan councilors this week gave Mayor Juan Aldana Sanchez permission to meet with representatives from the Montreal-based firm Enerkem and discuss a future collaboration.

Enerkem’s flagship project is its Westbury, Quebec plant, which was completed in December 2008 and is currently entering its start-up phase. The company website lauds the facility as “the world’s first ethanol plant to use negative-cost and unconventional materials – treated wood from used electricity poles.” The plant is operated by a team of 13 people and is expected to produce 1.3 millions gallons of ethanol annually.

Enerkem also plans to build a 20-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Pontotoc, Mississippi.

source: guadalajarareporter