The Digest’s 2018 5-Minute Guide to EnerSysNet Canada

EnerSysNet Canada Inc., Ontario, Canada

The Situation

EnerSysNet Canada Inc.’s mission is to develop modular systems that enable the forest residuals to hydrocarbon economy. Oxygen-free, liquid hydrocarbons would be produced from sustainably managed timber reserves by a distributed network of small, self-contained biorefineries that literally take the factory to the forest.

Top past Milestones

ESN emerged from stealth mode in late 2017 with plans to commercialize mobile, in-field wood to hydrocarbon biorefineries.

The intellectual property has been secured with patent and trade secret protections; and the development plans have been affirmatively vetted by industry professionals.

ESN recruited a strong team of internal and external professionals with decades of experience in pyrolysis, gasification and petroleum processing.

Top future Milestones

ESN is raising funds to build a pilot plant capable of demonstrating the core technologies. This is the first milestone that enables the subsequent work.

The results of the fundraising will build a one ton per day pilot plant and operate it for testing and hydrocarbon liquid samples.

In Year 3, the plant is expected to be operating continuously with the hydrocarbon liquids going to a refinery partner. Also in Year 3, ESN will begin the development of the full-scale systems.

Products and Services

The process is ablative pyrolysis coupled with a hydrodeoxygenation chamber that will allow the conversion of wood chips into liquid hydrocarbons suitable for processing in a petroleum refinery. The low carbon fuels produced from the ESN feedstock by the refinery will reduce GHG emissions in the transportation sector.

Development Stage

ESN is raising a seed round to build the pilot plant.

Competitive Edge

Taking the factory to the forest to access wood residuals that are not economically viable to be transported to a mill ensures that ESN’s wood cost will be lower than mill-based competitors.

Producing hydrocarbons that work within existing petroleum infrastructure ensures there will be an offtake customer.

Key Partners

With appropriate funding, ESN will contract Zeton, Inc. to build the pilot plant. Subsequent testing will be conducted at the Sarnia-Lambton Research Park. ESN is working with DR systems to develop the wood residuals network and has identified potential refinery partners for analysis and testing of the hydrocarbon liquids.