Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Since 1988, Greenfield Global has grown from a single plant to a global leader with manufacturing and packaging facilities in the US and Canada that reach the entire world. The company’s mission is to unlock the potential of people, partnerships and nature to accelerate sustainable solutions for the health of the planet. Greenfield has been conducting Research & Development in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Renewable Diesel and Gasoline (RDG) over the last five years, in partnership with the “de Klerk lab” at the University of Alberta Chemical and Materials Engineering Department. They have developed a process for converting waste feedstocks such as municipal solid waste (MSW), forestry waste and food waste to SAF and RDG. The process addresses the challenges of heterogeneous waste by converting the streams to homogenous monomers before fuel production, however, optimization is needed on formulation and the production of the key catalyst in the Fischer Tropsch reaction. Greenfield Global has partnered with Lambton College to continue developing a pioneering process for the conversion of waste to SAF by determining optimum catalyst formulation and production. To achieve this goal, the research aims to determine the effect of binders on catalyst plasticity and mechanical strength, optimize a catalyst production process in terms of binders and catalyst shape, determine the effect of binders and shape on catalyst performance in Fischer Tropsch reactions, and determine a cost estimate for producing a catalyst. Successful implementation of this research will strategically position Greenfield in the industry, opening up new revenue streams across various sectors. By licensing the technology in North America in the short term and globally in the medium term, Greenfield will further capitalize on this innovative process. Greenfield will be able to establish a first-in-kind commercial facility with a production capacity of 5000 barrels/day to create 250 new jobs. Beyond benefiting Greenfield, this initiative holds significant advantages for Canada as well. The conversion of over 13 million tonnes of Canadian food waste, forestry waste, construction waste, and municipal solid waste (MSW) into sustainable and renewable fuel will offer viable alternative to landfill disposal. This further supports Canada's commitment to achieving its Net-Zero emissions target by 2050, contributing to vital environmental benefits and sustainable practices.