Canadian waste-to-biofuels technology company Enerkem has received North America’s first unconditional commercial permit to produce advanced biofuels, in particular, ethanol, from sorted municipal solid waste.

This company press release says Enerkem GreenField Alberta Biofuels (EGAB) received the pemit to make the ethanol at a facility in Edmonton, Alberta:

“This unprecedented project is set to change the dynamics of the waste and fuel industries by making waste – that would otherwise be landfilled – a resource for transportation fuels,” said Vincent Chornet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enerkem. “The City of Edmonton is a leader in waste management and is now pioneering this solution which is to become a model for cities around the globe.“

In 2008, EGAB entered into a 25-year agreement with the City of Edmonton to build and operate a waste-to-biofuels facility on municipal land and to receive the City’s sorted municipal solid waste as feedstock. The City of Edmonton will supply 100,000 tonnes of sorted municipal solid waste per year. The sorted municipal solid waste to be used is the end-waste after recycling and composting. These residues would otherwise be landfilled.

Enerkem is expected to start building the $61.5 million facility by the end of this year. It will turn out about 9.5 million gallons of ethanol a year, taking 6 million tons of carbon dioxide over the next 25 years out of the environment… roughly equal to taking 12,000 cars off the road annually.