Torrefaction is a thermal technology carried out at atmospheric pressure in the absence of oxygen. It creates a solid product that weighs 30 per cent less than the original biomass, which reduces feedstock transportation costs by more than 60 per cent. The result is a clean burning feedstock with a much higher energy content. “Torrefaction could be used across the region to create new economic activity by producing a cleaner green fuel,” says BioEnergy Inc president, Barrie Fiolek.

The technology makes use of available wood and agri-biomass feedstock for the production of bioenergy and bio-products. With the new investment, from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), BioEnergy Inc and CSEE will research and demonstrate Torrefaction at commercial scale for increasing the value of available biomass in the region.