AMEC to design biodiesel plant in Ontario

AMEC of Oakville, Ontario has been awarded a $1.9 million contract to design a $24-million alternative fuel production plant in Hamilton, Ontario. The facility will convert vegetable oils, agricultural seed oils, waste animal fats, greases and recycled cooking oils into biodiesel.
The plant for Biox Corporation will be the first commercial scale-biodiesel production facility in Canada. AMEC will provide engineering services and procurement assistance on the project. It begins its work on detail engineering immediately.
The fuel is renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable and sulphur free. It can be used pure as an alternative to regular fuel, or blended with petroleum diesel of any level and used in an unmodified diesel engine. It emits 80% fewer hydrocarbons, 60% less carbon dioxide and 50% less particulate matter than petroleum diesel.
Biox, also of Oakville, uses a technology developed at the University of Toronto, to convert the vegetable matter into biodiesel in a continuous process performed at near-ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressures.
The Hamilton plant, which is subject to environmental approvals, will be designed to produce 60 million litres of biodiesel a year, increasing North American biodiesel production capacity by 50%. Construction is expected to begin in late fall.
The work is led by AMEC’s Oakville office, with geotechnical services support from the AMEC Earth & Environmental in Hamilton and St. Catharines.
Biox plans to build additional plants in Canada once the Hamilton plant is completed.