New test centre a boost for biofuels industry

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

A new test centre established by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) will benefit biofuel producers in the province and throughout North America.

The SRC’s Biofuels Test Centre was officially opened on September 21. The Regina facility will provide the biofuel industry with more timely access to independent testing, a key component for producers who are required to meet international standards.

Biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel represent a huge opportunity in Saskatchewan, where feedstock, including grain and canola, is readily available. There are a growing number of biofuel producers in the province.

Weyburn and Lanigan are home to established ethanol facilities, and a new plant has just opened in Lloydminster. Milligan Biotech Inc. (MBTI), one of three commercial biodiesel producers in Canada, currently operates a plant in Foam Lake. Demand for biofuel is increasing in Europe and the United States. There are 50 biodiesel plants currently under construction in the U.S. alone.

These producers require testing of their product, so the potential demand for the lab’s services will be North American-wide. The lab will use a special container that will make shipping biofuel samples from anywhere on the continent quick and simple.

Milligan Biotech Executive Manager Zenneth Faye says the test centre is a state-of-the-art facility. “Having SRC’s Biofuels Test Centre located in the province will greatly improve turnaround times and our accessibility to their independent, third-party testing verification, which MBTI requires to meet customers’ needs,” said Faye.

The SRC lab is the newest biofuel test centre in North America, and builds on the SRC’s 20-plus years of experience providing testing services for the petroleum industry.

The facility is a member of the Canadian Association of Environmental Analytical Laboratories, and is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada for specific tests registered with the council.

For further information, contact:

Carol Reynolds, Corporate Relations Specialist
Saskatchewan Research Council
Phone: (306) 933-7089
E-mail: reynolds@src.sk.ca