PyroGenesis to deliver thermal-swing adsorption system for Varennes Carbon Recycling project in Quebec, Canada
PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes advanced plasma processes and sustainable solutions geared to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), announced June 11 that its subsidiary, Pyro Green-Gas Inc., has signed contracts totaling CAD$2.5 million (USD$1.8 million) for engineering, design and fabrication of a thermal-swing adsorption (TSA) system for the dehydration of pure oxygen produced from electrolyzers at the Varennes Carbon Recycling plant—a large biofuel production project currently under construction in Varennes, Quebec, Canada.
The CAD$1 billion (USD$727 million) VCR project is being led by a consortium of major corporate partners including Shell, Suncor, Proman and Enerkem and has the financial backing of the Quebec and Canadian governments.
The consortium is constructing a biorefinery with the capacity to convert up to 200,000 metric tons of nonrecyclable waste and residual biomass material into 125 million liters (33 million gallons) of commonly used chemicals and value-added biofuels such as methanol.
The plant will be powered by clean electricity and will leverage renewable green hydrogen and oxygen produced onsite by what PyroGenesis Canada said is one of the world’s largest electrolyzers.
“This announcement highlights our continued commitment to providing sustainable technology solutions that improve the environment by controlling and eliminating hazardous air pollutants and greenhouse gases,” said P. Peter Pascali, president and CEO of PyroGenesis. “Pyro Green-Gas’ technologies such as thermal-swing adsorption and pressure-swing adsorption are employed to safely capture and recover CO2 and other greenhouse-gas emissions. This is crucial to projects like the VCR project, which itself has a stated goal of cutting more than 170,000 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions annually and 4.25 million tons over the project’s 25-year lifespan. This is equivalent to taking 50,000 passenger vehicles off the road, and we look forward to potentially increasing our role as the project evolves.”
Pyro Green-Gas expects to complete delivery in the fourth quarter of this year.
Pyro Green-Gas’ development of various technologies such as thermal-swing adsorption and gas-separation system technologies are part of the company’s three-tiered solution ecosystem, which aligns with economic drivers that are key to global heavy industry.
Flaring technologies are part of the company’s energy-transition and emissions-reduction tier, where gas purification, separation and conversion technologies, and fuel switching utilizing the company’s electric-powered plasma torches, helps heavy industry reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and fossil-fuel use.
