P.E.I. ethanol plant will not go commercial
CBC News
Posted: Dec 6, 2011 8:34 AM AT
Last Updated: Dec 6, 2011 8:28 AM AT
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The company behind a demonstration plant on P.E.I., turning sugar beets into ethanol, says it has no plans to expand into a commercial operation.
Atlantec BioEnergy Corporation is receiving $1.8 million in grants, loans and labour rebates from the province, and more than $340,000 from ACOA, to develop an ethanol demonstration plant in Cornwall. The plant was announced Friday.
Five years ago Atlantec tried to convince the P.E.I. government to support an 85-million-litre ethanol plant, but a provincial report advised against it.
'We've evolved more into a process and design and engineering company.'— Ron Coles, Atlantec
Atlantec vice-president Ron Coles told CBC News Monday the company's business model has changed, and it no longer has plans to go into commercial ethanol production on PEI.
"We have a model now, that we have patents on, that we believe we can now sell around North America," said Coles.
"We've evolved more into a process and design and engineering company. Basically that's our concept, and it's not unheard of in the engineering world, where you design processes protected with patents and then sell-off those ideas."
The demonstration plant will require only 40 hectares of sugar beets to be grown.
Coles said eight to 10 people are being hired to start, and another 25 will be added in the next five years if the company can sell its designs to at least five customers.
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