A recent article in the Business Financial Post, The Energy Frontier: Expander’s Quest to turn Carbon into Cash, highlighted an impressive clean technology, the ability to convert refinery waste into synthetic diesel, invented by Expander Energy, Inc., a small Calgary start-up.
The new technology, referred to as FTCrude, cuts down carbon dioxide emissions and increases output by gasifying carbon-heavy refinery waste and blending it with natural gas. This process results in synthetic diesel, naphtha and other oil products. Expander Energy, Inc. secured a patent for partial and full heavy oil and bitumen upgrading and not surprisingly, they are seeking to obtain more.
Jim Ross, Expander Energy CEO, explains, “The real advantage of Expander is that you maximize all the carbon that is available in the system. The bottom line is a minimum 50% reduction in CO2, and we think we can see a reduction of as much as 80%.”
Expander Energy is currently engaged in contract negotiations with David Black’s proposed $16-billion oil refinery in Kitimat, British Columbia. If all goes well, a licensing agreement would enable FTCrude to process 400,000 to 500,000 barrels a day. The six-staff Calgary start-up will be well on their way to both entrepreneurial and environmental success.
The Alberta Oil Sands are the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. Implementation of Energy Expander’s clean energy technology would assist Canada meet its international climate commitments under the Copenhagen Accord, which would also keep U.S. policy makers happy aka more business.
Expander Energy is discussing FTCrude with several oil companies.
Paul Sharpe is a Registered Patent Agent representing Expander Energy and specializes in clean energy technologies. Paul can be reached at 613.567.0762 or psharpe@mbm.com.