Ottawa Shell station first in Canada to deliver branded E10 wheat straw cellulosic ethanol; Shell, Iogen partnership on the move

In Canada, a Shell station in Ottawa became the first in the country to serve cars with cellulosic ethanol, offering a 10 percent blend of gasoline and wheat straw ethanol manufactured at a demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plan jointly owned by Shell and Iogen.

The Iogen technology has been operating at a 480,000 gallon per year capacity since 2004, and is currently evaluating options to construct an 18 Mgy plant in Saskatchewan, near Prince Albert. A representative of the joint venture said that a decision on expansion would be reached within 12 months, and did not rule out the possibility of constructing a commercial-scale facility in Idaho, where the company abandoned an effort to build a demonstration-scale plant.

Last October, Iogen announced that it had commenced shipments of a 47,000 gallon cellulosic ethanol order from venture partner Royal Dutch Shell. The companies first partnered in cellulosic ethanol in 2002 when Shell invested in Iogen. Shell subsequently increased its ownership stake in Iogen’s technology to 50 percent in 2007.

Last week, the Saskatchewan provincial government signed an agreement with Iogen to support development  the province’s first cellulosic ethanol plant at a former pulp mill at Prince Albert owned by Domtar. Iogen will operate the plant, which will be a commercial-scale expansion of its wheat straw ethanol demonstration plant in Ontario. The Canadian government has pledged up to 40 percent of the cost of the project in the form of development grants.  The plant will also feature power generation from forest residues.

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