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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 3, 2009) - The BC Bioenergy Network ("BCBN"), a provincially-funded industry-led association supporting the growing bioenergy sector in British Columbia, announced today a $1,180,000 contribution to Lignol Innovations Ltd. ("Lignol"), a leading technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector. With this contribution, BCBN will provide funding to Lignol to work with several British Columbia Universities to support mission-driven lignin research for commercial applications.
The goal of this project is to develop the foundation for a renewable chemicals industry within the Province and to further support the development of a biofuels industry. This project will develop expertise in the production and functional utilization of Lignol's HP-LTM technical lignin derived from locally available feedstocks and leverage the established world renowned centres of excellence at BC Universities and other research institutions, such as FP Innovations.
"B.C. companies like Lignol will help our province reach its potential as a clean energy powerhouse," said Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. "Research like this contributes to B.C.'s leadership in the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels, and in the promotion of innovative clean and renewable energy and biorefining solutions."
"This project is a great fit for our mandate of supporting relevant, mission driven research and building a world class bioenergy capability here in BC" stated Michael Weedon, Executive Director of the BC Bioenergy Network. "Lignol has defined the research agenda needs by working with some of BC's leading research universities and other research institutions to accelerate the commercialization of their technology. This is the kind of collaborative approach that we need more of in BC to really fast track the efforts of our technology companies to get their products to market." Weedon added.
"British Columbia is a province rich in resources and technical expertise. This represents an exciting opportunity, through our expanded partnership with BCBN and collaboration with BC's Universities and Research Institutions, to make BC a world centre for production and commercialization of renewable biochemicals from non-food, ligno-cellulosic feedstocks," said Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO of Lignol. "Lignol's team of 50 dedicated employees now includes a talented technical development team that includes seven PhD Scientists, many of whom are graduates of BC Universities. This project, lead by Dr Alex Berlin, Vice President Research of Lignol represents an excellent opportunity to expand our working relationships with the Universities and Institutions of BC which could serve as a model for future collaborations between Industry and Academia" MacLachlan went on to say.
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June 8, 2009
Biorefining company Lignol Energy Corporation of B.C. has completed the first "end-to-end" production of cellulosic ethanol from wood chips from its fully-integrated, industrial-scale pilot plant in Burnaby.
The production of cellulosic ethanol from Canadian wood chips followed the plant construction phase that began in June 2008, and the start-up phase that began in April 2009. This represents the first end-to-end production of ethanol using all of the unit operations of Lignol's unique, proprietary technology.
Lignol operates one of only a handful of fully integrated cellulosic ethanol pilot plants in the world. It intends to operate the pilot plant under a wide range of operating parameters to process various non-food feedstocks, using various equipment configurations, enzyme formulations and process conditions to optimize yield.
"Achieving the first production of cellulosic ethanol from the pilot plant is a significant milestone for Lignol," said Ross MacLachlan, president and CEO. "It is imperative that before embarking on any major capital investment in a larger-scale plant, information is gained from a pilot plant to understand and mitigate the associated scale-up risk. The information we are generating from our pilot plant will provide Lignol with a significant competitive advantage and will allow us to validate cost and performance assumptions to accelerate our path to commercialization."
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April 6, 2009
Lignol Energy Corp. (LEC.V: News) announced that has been awarded $3.4 million in funding to produce cellulosic ethanol and other biochemical products from under-utilized forest resources, including lodgepole pine killed by mountain pine beetle.
Premier Gordon Campbell announced the award from the Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development at Lignol's facilities in Burnaby, B.C. Lignol will use the funding to support production runs at its industrial scale biorefinery pilot plant utilizing forestry residues indigenous to British Columbia, including beetle-killed lodgepole pine.
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March 19, 2009
Lignol Energy Corp. (LEC.V: News ) said a project led by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd., received up to C$1.82 million in additional funding contributions from Sustainable Development Technology Canada. The scope of the current work plan that commenced June, 2006 with the support from SDTC would be completed by second quarter of 2009 and supports the overall project costs estimated to be C$20.36 million.
The company said the latest award is in addition to the C$4.42 million awarded to date from SDTC, representing an aggregate contribution to Lignol from SDTC of up to C$6.24 million.
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Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) --Lignol Energy Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. suspended plans to develop an ethanol plant in Colorado, citing "market uncertainty."
The distillery was announced last year, Vancouver-based Lignol said today in a PR Newswire statement. The plant was planned to produce 26 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol and cost about $80 million. The mill was to be located in Grand Junction, Colorado.
In the meantime, the companies are looking at "various alternatives" for the $30 million U.S. Department of Energy grant they got for the project in February 2008, Ross MacLachlan, president and CEO of Lignol, said in a prepared statement.
It's been tough times recently for companies seeking to make commercial quantities of "next-generation" ethanol made from non-food sources like wood chips, switch grass or municipal waste.
Lignol plunged 3 cents, or 26 percent, to 8.5 cents a share on the Canadian Venture Exchange. The stock has fallen 91 percent in the past year. Suncor rose 56 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $26.05 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
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VANCOUVER, Feb. 4 /CNW/ -Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC) ("Lignol" or "the Company"), a leading technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector, today announced that a project led by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd. has been awarded up to $1.82 million in funding assistance from BC Bioenergy Network Association ("BCBN" ).
"We are delighted to announce this funding to Lignol. With nearly 50 Expressions of Interest representing over half a billion dollars in projects and requested funding totaling $177 million, Lignol's application and technology stood out as a superb candidate for investment," stated Michael Weedon, Executive Director of BCBN. "We believe Lignol's cellulosic ethanol and biorefining technology has the potential to add considerable value to bioenergy resources within British Columbia. Through our contribution to the development of the technology, and in particular to the fully integrated biorefinery pilot plant that Lignol is in the final stages of commissioning, BCBN is a key partner in the commercialization of these technologies and the opportunities they will bring to the Province."
"Lignol is very pleased to receive this funding from BCBN," said Ross MacLachlan, President & CEO of Lignol. "We have invested significantly in British Columbia culminating in an overall investment in the region of some $20 million and a work force of 37 highly-skilled and dedicated employees at our world-class Biorefinery Technology Centre located on the BCIT campus. The support from BCBN will play a crucial role in our continued success."
Successful commercialization of Lignol's cellulosic ethanol and biorefining technologies could help support a number of Provincial and Federal initiatives, including: 1) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuels with low carbon ethanol; 2) the utilization of mountain pine beetle fibre and other softwood residues in the production of low-carbon transportation fuel and other biochemical co-products, such as High Purity Lignin ("HP-L(TM) Lignin"); and 3) the development of BC technologies that have strong potential for export.
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VANCOUVER, Oct 23, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ ----Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC) ("Lignol" ) announced today that it has entered into a Cellulosic Ethanol Project Development Agreement (the "Agreement" ) with Suncor Energy Products Inc. ("Suncor" ), a wholly owned subsidiary of Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX, NYSE: SU). (Financial figures in Canadian dollars unless noted otherwise).
As part of this Agreement, Suncor has agreed to assist Lignol with certain preliminary development work for the previously announced commercial demonstration cellulosic ethanol facility to be located in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Agreement also provides that the Parties negotiate a comprehensive joint venture arrangement ("Joint Venture" ) to progress the development of Lignol's technology from the pilot plant stage, to the commercial demonstration plant stage through to the ultimate commercial deployment of the technology. While neither Party has an obligation to enter into the Joint Venture, the Parties hope to complete the Joint Venture on or before January 15, 2009.
It is contemplated that the Joint Venture would include a series of gated and milestone driven investments by Suncor towards the commercial demonstration cellulosic ethanol facility and the comprehensive terms and conditions governing the structure and the respective commercial interests of the Parties. It is envisaged that Suncor would have a controlling interest in the Joint Venture.
"We are delighted to continue working closely with Suncor on the scale-up of this next generation biofuels technology. Suncor's experience in pioneering process technologies within the liquid transportation fuels sector, coupled with their expertise in deploying world scale energy projects, will be a tremendous asset in taking our technology through its evolution from pilot to commercial scale," said Ross MacLachlan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lignol.
Suncor Energy Inc. is a significant investor in renewable energy in Canada, with more than $250 million invested to date in wind energy and biofuels.
"We're proud of Suncor's leadership in the biofuels industry," said Ian Savill, Vice President Energy Supply and Biofuels, Suncor. "Suncor was a leader in the success of Canada's oil sands industry and we're continuing that pioneering spirit to advance key renewable energy and biofuels technologies and bring them to a commercial scale. We believe that Lignol's technology with its enhanced greenhouse gas attributes and the ability to utilize agricultural and wood waste may be the next step forward in ethanol production."
Lignol has completed construction of its industrial-scale biorefinery pilot plant in Burnaby, B.C. and is currently completing a staged plant commissioning process. Once fully commissioned, Lignol will move ahead with scheduled trials to optimize current engineering designs for commercial scale plants. Lignol will also accelerate work underway with companies seeking to evaluate their leading-edge enzymes and novel organisms in an industrial setting. The facility is expected to have a production capacity of 100,000 litres of ethanol per year and will be one of only a few fully integrated cellulosic ethanol biorefineries currently operating in the world.
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VANCOUVER, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC) ("Lignol" or "the Company"), a leading technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector, announced today that its U.S. subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Inc., is moving forward with its previously announced plan to construct a commercial demonstration cellulosic ethanol plant in Colorado. Lignol has recently received approval from the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE" ) to locate the facility in Grand Junction, on the western slope of Colorado. The approved location is a change from the originally proposed site adjacent to Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc.'s ("Suncor" ) refinery in Commerce City, Colorado.
Lignol is expecting that Suncor will operate the facility, to be built next to Suncor's products distribution terminal in Grand Junction. The Grand Junction location offers logistical advantages including access to feedstock and ethanol distribution efficiencies. Site specification decisions are subject to regulatory approval.
In January 2008, the DOE approved Lignol's funding application for a proposed cellulosic ethanol plant, including up to US$30 million in funding to construct the facility. Lignol continues to negotiate the final details of the DOE funding agreement and related party agreements.
The proposed facility will be designed to process hard and soft woods and agricultural residues such as straw and corn stover. Lignol expects the facility, once operational, will process about 100 tonnes of feedstock per day and produce approximately 10 million litres of ethanol per year.
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VANCOUVER, July 21 /CNW/ -Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC) ("Lignol" or "the Company" ), a leading technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd. has been awarded $1.96 million in funding from the Government of British Columbia's $25 million Innovative Clean Energy ("ICE" ) Fund.
ICE funding recipients were announced by B.C.'s Technology, Trade and Economic Development Minister Ida Chong and Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Richard Neufeld on July 18, 2008. Lignol will use the funding to support the ongoing development and commercialization of its unique process technology for the conversion of non-food, cellulosic biomass into ethanol and other biochemicals.
"We are pleased to have been selected by the B.C. government for this funding to help advance the development of our unique and proprietary cellulosic ethanol and biorefining technologies," said Ross MacLachlan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lignol. "The support we have received from provincial and federal agencies together with our business partners has been significant and this funding from British Columbia's Innovative Clean Energy Fund further validates our commercial potential within these significant and fast growing sectors. We look forward to playing a role in support of B.C.'s ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction and clean energy targets."
Successful commercialization of Lignol's cellulosic ethanol and biorefining technologies could help support a number of B.C. government initiatives including: i) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil fuels with low carbon ethanol produced within the province; ii) the utilization of mountain pine beetle fibre and other softwood residues in the production of low carbon transportation fuel and other biochemical co-products, such as High Purity Lignin ("HP-L(TM)"); and iii) the development of B.C. technologies that have strong potential for export.
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Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC) today announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Inc., has been awarded up to US$30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE" ) to build a commercial demonstration cellulosic ethanol plant. The DOE has approved a funding application submitted by Lignol Innovations for a proposed plant which is planned to be operated by Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. ("Suncor") which owns and operates a major refinery in Commerce City,
Colorado.
"We believe our successful application for DOE funding further validates the commercial potential of our unique biorefining process," said Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO of Lignol Energy Corporation. "Through its cellulosic ethanol and biofuels funding program, the DOE is seeking projects that demonstrate potential to rapidly move to commercial-scale using breakthrough technologies, a sound business strategy, and collaboration between industry, universities, and the DOE's national laboratories. We look forward to advancing this project with support from the DOE and our industry partners."
Lignol and Suncor will work together to finalize the site specific plans and engineering and to determine the optimum plant location in order to leverage Suncor's Colorado-based marketing and operating capabilities. Suncor has a number of suitable properties in Colorado for this development, including Commerce City. Lignol and Suncor have yet to consider all of the details with respect to the final funding agreement and the determination of final dates for construction, however the DOE funding requires that the plant must be completed by 2012. Once completed, the plant is expected to produce in excess of two million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol, plus biochemical co-products, including High Purity-Lignin ("HP-L(TM)"). Suncor will be the operator of the plant and the exclusive buyer of all of the ethanol produced.
Plant capacity is expected to be 100 tonnes per day (dry basis) of hard and soft wood feedstock. Lignol Innovations'proprietary solvent pretreatment process, integrated with saccharification, fermentation and product recovery processes also has the capability to process agricultural residues and other feedstocks.
In May 2007, the DOE announced that it will provide up to US$200 million, over five years (FY'07-'11) to support the development of small-scale cellulosic biorefineries in the United States, under its cellulosic ethanol and biofuels funding program. Lignol Innovations announced that it had submitted a formal application to the DOE in August 2007 for a grant of up to US$30 million. The DOE's announcement today represents the first round of funding (US$114 million in total) awarded as part of the DOE's small-scale biorefinery funding program. Through this funding initiative, the DOE intends to support projects to develop biorefineries at ten percent of commercial scale that produce liquid transportation fuels such as ethanol, as well as bio-based chemicals and bioproducts used in industrial applications. Building on President Bush's goal of making cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive by 2012, these ten-percent of commercial-scale biorefineries will use a wide variety of feedstocks and test novel conversion technologies to provide data necessary to bring online full-size, commercial-scale biorefineries. Successful applicants are expected to have their projects operational within three to four years of DOE funding approval.
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December 12, 2007 -Lignol Announces Strategic Move to New Premises at BCIT in Burnaby
VANCOUVER, Dec. 12 - Lignol Energy Corporation ("Lignol" ) (TSX-V: LEC), a leading technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector, today announced that it will be opening a new Biorefining Technology Development Centre on the campus of the British Columbia Institute of Technology ("BCIT" ) in Burnaby, BC. The Development Centre will house 20 employees engaged in Lignol's state-of-the-art Bioconversion and Lignin Characterization Laboratories and a new industrial-scale biorefinery pilot plant where Lignol will complete pre-commercialization development activities for its advanced biorefining process.
The move to BCIT is underpinned by plans for collaboration between the Institute and Lignol encompassing joint research, educational outreach and also opportunities for BCIT students to gain experience in bioenergy technology development in a true industrial setting.
"We are very excited about the opportunities that locating at BCIT creates for us," said Ross MacLachlan, President & CEO of Lignol. "We expect to tap into a large, educated talent pool as our company grows and we build biorefining capability within Western Canada. BCIT's research capabilities within the applied sciences are well recognized and we expect to capitalize on the collaboration between our talented professionals and BCIT's students and faculty. We will be proud to help develop British Columbia's next generation of innovators."
"BCIT is a dynamic institution with strong ties to industry, and having Lignol's facility on our campus will add greatly to the Institute's educational offerings," said BCIT Acting President, Dr. Verna Magee-Shepherd. "Lignol has made commitments to assist as guest lecturers, in tutorials and to provide hands-on experiences for our students to learn in an industrial development environment. We are thrilled to have a company at the forefront of next-generation biofuels development investing with us and enhancing BCIT's position as Canada's premier polytechnic institute."
Lignol has completed the move from its former premises and expects the new facilities to be complete by the summer of 2008. Meanwhile, work will continue completing Lignol's technology development for commercial demonstration and advancing the scientific knowledge required to maintain its position as one of the most promising cellulosic ethanol processes.
Lignol's new premises are located at:
Unit 101 -4705 Wayburne Drive
Burnaby, BC
Canada
V5G 3L1
VANCOUVER, Nov. 27 /CNW/ -Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC), a leading technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector, today announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Inc. ("Lignol" ) has established operations in the state of Pennsylvania.
Lignol's U.S. operations were established following the successful recruitment of a number of key professionals responsible for the development of Lignol's core pre-treatment technology when it was originally conceived at the University of Pennsylvania and further developed by a subsidiary of General Electric Company ("GE").
"We are pleased to have recruited such a talented group of scientists and biochemical engineers with in-depth knowledge of our core pre-treatment technology," said Ross MacLachlan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lignol. "The opening of our Pennsylvania facility demonstrates our commitment to actively participating in the rapidly growing U.S. biofuels market."
"Our U.S. operation's location, near Philadelphia, has many advantages, including its close proximity to numerous potentially strong partners, such as the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA" ), the U.S. Agricultural Research Service's Eastern Regional Research Center ("ERRC"), as well as several prestigious research-oriented universities," added Mr. MacLachlan.
Lignol's U.S. operation will be responsible for developing partnerships with leading U.S. companies and research institutions. These partnerships will be pursued with the intention of accelerating the commercialization of Lignol's biorefining technology and unique biochemical products, such as High Purity Lignin ("HP-L(TM)"). The U.S.-based technical team will also provide both complementary technology and engineering capabilities to Lignol's parent operations in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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November 13, 2007. Lignol Awarded additional $4.1 million in grants from the Government Of Alberta to develop cellulosic ethanol
VANCOUVER, Nov. 13 -Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd. ("Lignol"), has been awarded additional grants of up to $4.1 million from the Alberta Government to support the ongoing development and commercialization of its unique process technology for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into ethanol and other biochemicals.
This grant is in addition to the previously announced grant of up to $870,000, that Lignol was awarded from the Government of Alberta in May 2007. Both grants are part of the government's Biorefining Commercialization and Market Development Program. The Alberta Government grants will be received in stages and are conditional upon the completion of certain agreed upon work plans.
"The funding we are receiving from the Government of Alberta will support the expansion of our current work plan and accelerate our progress towards commercialization," said Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO of Lignol. "This award is further proof of the continued interest in our technology platform and its potential to help the government reach its ambitious goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the production of cellulosic ethanol for blending with gasoline."
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November 06, 2007. Lignol Awarded $2.7 Million in Additional Funding from SDTC
VANCOUVER, Nov. 6 - Lignol Energy Corporation (TSX-V: LEC), a leading technology company in the cellulosic ethanol and biorefining sector, today announced that a project led by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lignol Innovations Ltd. has been awarded up to $2,749,134 in additional funding contributions from Sustainable Development Technology Canada ("SDTC"). This amount is in addition to the $1.7 million previously awarded from SDTC and now represents an aggregate contribution from SDTC of up to $4,449,134.
"This funding supports the expanded scope of our current work plan, which will see the establishment of a new industrial scale pilot plant in the coming months and will accelerate our efforts to commercialize our technology," said Ross MacLachlan, President & CEO of Lignol.
"Next-generation biofuels, made from cellulosic biomass, are the key to establishing a new bio-based economy in Canada," said Vicky J. Sharpe, President and CEO of SDTC. "Lignol's innovative technology can provide a key solution in the need to produce ethanol from low-value feedstocks, while at the same time reducing the chemical industry's reliance on petroleum. Should the Lignol project be successful, it will be an important step forward for the production of cellulosic ethanol in Canada and around the world."
Success in the early stages of the project and investments by key stakeholders to date, have enabled Lignol Innovations to scale up the project to: i) establish preliminary operating conditions across a wide range of feedstocks, and ii) identify any significant development issues with respect to various potential, commercial-scale plant configurations. By addressing these key production and process factors in this stage of development, Lignol will be better positioned to advance its plant commercialization objectives.
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