Biofine partners with Sprague to distribute biobased heating oil

In Maine, Biofine Developments Northeast and Sprague Resources have signed a partnership to bring the next generation of advanced biofuel, ethyl levulinate to the market.  Biofine will produce and Sprague will market  EL, a product poised to revolutionize the heating oil market by transforming waste material into zero emission heating fuel.

What’s happening now, and next: Under the terms of the agreement, Sprague will facilitate the commercialization of EL through its commitment to purchase and market a significant portion of the fuel produced from Biofine’s first production facility.  EL’s beneficial technical qualities, including its clean-burning and cold temperature handling properties, have led The National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), National Energy and Fuels Institute (NEFI) and other trade associations to significantly support and embrace EL as an advanced biofuel.

The backstory: Biofine was awarded grant funding to commercialize the EL production process through the Maine Technology Institute’s Emerging Technology Challenge for Maine’s Forest Resource in 2019.  Biofine, under the direction of Fitzpatrick and Chief Development Officer Mike Cassata, has assembled a team, including The University of Maine-Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (UMaine-FBRI) that has worked with Biofine to validate and demonstrate the technology at pilot scale and Treadwell Franklin Infrastructure Capital (TFIC), as development agent, to advance multiple biorefinery projects producing EL and co-products on an industrial scale utilizing Maine derived forest residues.

The Biofine technology enables the production of high value renewable biofuels from cellulosic residues, including non-food feedstock such as wood, agricultural residues and municipal waste fiber.

Why Big? Here’s a company that’s found a powerful way to bring a new molecule to the market.