Comstock, Gresham’s Eastern to develop biofuel projects in Pakistan

Comstock Inc. announced Dec. 30 the execution of a binding agreement between Comstock Fuels Corp. and Gresham’s Eastern (Pvt) Ltd., a leading sustainable energy engineering, equipment and construction company based in Pakistan, under which Comstock Fuels agreed to grant Gresham’s exclusive project and site-development rights in Pakistan to enable Gresham’s to deploy Comstock Fuels’ proprietary and patented lignocellulosic biomass refining technologies to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other renewable fuels in Pakistan.

Gresham’s will develop an initial demonstration facility in Lahore, Pakistan, capable of processing 75,000 metric tons per year (tpy) of biomass.

This facility is designed to generate the prerequisite operational and economic data for scaling up to a 1 million tpy commercial facility, aligning with rapid global market demand for increased SAF production and positioning Pakistan as an emerging leader in the renewable fuels sector.

Gresham’s plans on utilizing abundant, locally available agricultural and forestry residuals, as well as sustainably grown energy crops, unlocking billions of dollars in export potential, becoming a leading contributor of Pakistan’s commitment to producing 60 percent renewable energy by 2030.

“This partnership exemplifies Gresham’s commitment to deploying both quality systems and cutting-edge technologies for truly sustainable energy solutions in Pakistan,” said Gresham’s CEO Mian Suhall Husain. “We are on the doorstep of a globally significant opportunity where our combined competencies can create wealth for nations and communities alike.”  

Under the agreement, Gresham’s will lead the development, financing, construction and management of renewable fuel production facilities based on Comstock Fuels’ proprietary Bioleum refining technologies.

Each Bioleum refinery will operate under a site-specific license agreement to ensure compliance with Comstock Fuels’ performance and quality standards.

Comstock Fuels will contribute site-specific technology rights in exchange for a 20 percent equity stake in each Bioleum refinery, plus a royalty fee equal to 6 percent of each refinery’s sales of licensed products, and engineering fees equal to 6 percent of total capital and construction costs.

The inclusion of cellulosic ethanol production using Comstock Fuels’ advanced lignocellulosic refining process adds significant value to Pakistan’s existing renewable energy sector, where most of the domestically produced ethanol is exported.

This process positions the partnership to capitalize on the country’s widely available agricultural residue biomass, currently representing over 100 million tpy, enabling a sustainable, societal and economically impactful use for these resources.

That amount of feedstock has the potential to yield upwards of 14 billion gallons of renewable fuels per year at Comstock Fuels’ yields exceeding about 140 gallons per dry metric ton of biomass on a gasoline gallon-equivalent basis (GGE).

Pakistan’s abundance of renewable biomass resources provides an ideal foundation for developing a robust renewable fuel production ecosystem, according to Comstock.

The Gresham’s projects will prioritize fulfilling regional demand while targeting export markets across the Middle East and North Africa.

The combination of Gresham’s engineering, equipment fabrication, construction and extensive quality-systems operating and supply-chain network positions the company for strong market leadership, Comstock stated. 

“Mian’s extraordinary track record and commitment to both quality systems and societal impact align perfectly with Comstock’s mission and approach,” said David Winsness, the president of Comstock Fuels. “Gresham has positioned itself as a leading integrator in Pakistan’s economic-development and sustainable-energy goals. We believe this partnership will be transformative to Pakistan’s leadership in SAF and renewable fuel production and showcases the quality and speed of the global adoption of our industry-leading solution. We are excited to get started in Lahore and well beyond.”