Dynamotive Energy Systems
Encyclopedia
Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation is a Canadian
based Renewable Energy Company which specializes in fast pyrolysis
, a process which creates a product named BioOil. Its only other residue is char
. Dynamotive is currently traded on the OTCBB under the symbol DYMTF.
. The Company changed its name from Dynamotive Technologies Corporation on June 26, 2001.
2000
BioOil patent acquired from Resource Transforms Ltd. (RTI).
Dynamotive designs and builds 10 tonnes per day (tpd) commercial demonstration plant, (picture of pilot plant)
Dynamotive completes gas turbine tests
2001
Commission of 10 tpd commercial demonstration plant, upgraded to 15 tpd,
TECNA validation of technology
2002
Design and development of a 100 tpd plant
2003
Construction started for 100 tpd plant at Erie Flooring and Wood Products,
West Lorne, Ontario
in partnership with UMA Engineering, Ontario Power Generation
,
and Magellan Aerospace
(Picture of West Lorne Plant)
2005
Completion of the first commercial plant (West Lorne, Ontario
) and launch of
full commercialization of Dynamotive’s technology
First commercial shipments of BioOil
2006
Ground breaking for 200 tpd BioOil plant in Guelph
, Ontario
Entry into strategic partnership with Consensus Business Group
Fabrication and procurement of two 200 tpd plants to be located in Canada
R&D offices & laboratory opened on University of Waterloo
campus, Ontario
, Canada
Continued international expansion through Australia
n master license
2007
Dynamotive launches higher energy content renewable fuel - BioOil Plus
Dynamotive opens offices in United States
and Argentina
, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. The research project involves the development of a process for gasification
of BioOil by catalytic steam reforming to produce syngas
and/or hydrogen
. Syngas
can be further converted into synthetic diesel, a renewable, greenhouse gas neutral fuel
that can replace hydrocarbon diesel. With the escalating cost of fossil fuels and the dependence on crude oil as the primary source of energy
for automobiles, it has become increasingly important to develop synthetic fuels.
In April 2009 Dynamotive successfully produced renewable gasoline and diesel from biomass
at its research facility in Waterloo
, Ontario
through a novel two-stage upgrading process of its pyrolysis
oil, BioOil. The BINGO (Biomass INto GasOil) process involves pyrolysis
of lignocellulosic biomass
to produce a primary liquid fuel
, BioOil, which is then hydroreformed to a Stage 1 gas-oil equivalent liquid fuel
that can either be directly utilized in blends with hydrocarbon fuels for industrial
stationary power
and heating applications or be further upgraded to transportation grade liquid hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline
/diesel) in a Stage 2 hydrotreating process.
pyrolysis
is Biochar
which has emerging value for soil productivity enhancement and carbon sequestration. Dynamotive markets its Biochar
under the trade name CQuestTM.
On May 12, 2009 Dynamotive released the results of a year-long test applying Dynamotive’s CQuest Biochar
in commercial farming test plots. The tests revealed an overall increase in crop yield from 6 percent to 17 percent in plots where biochar
was applied versus the control plots.
waste material. When combusted it produces substantially less smog-precursor nitrogen oxide ('NOx') emissions than conventional oil
as well as little or no sulfur oxide
gases ('SOx'), which are a prime cause of acid rain
. BioOil and BioOil Plus are price-competitive replacements for heating oils #2 and #6 that are widely used in industrial boilers and furnace. They have been EcoLogo certified, having met stringent environmental criteria for industrial fuels as measured by Environment Canada's Environmental Choice Program. BioOil can be produced from a variety of residue cellulosic biomass
resources and is not dependent on food-crop production.
The West Lorne BioOil Cogeneration Project (the first of its kind for pyrolysis technology) is partially funded with a Cdn $5 million contribution from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a foundation created by the Government of Canada
to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies. Additional support was leveraged from consortia members.
In 2007 Dynamotive signed a contract with Ontario Power Authority
to supply renewable power under the province's Standard Offer Program ('SOP'). Under the terms of the newly signed contract,
Dynamotive would deliver electricity
to the grid from its 2.5 MW cogeneration facility at West Lorne. Dynamotive would sell renewable power to the grid at 11 cents per kilowatt hour, or more, for up to 20 years. Fuel for the plant is derived from wood residues from Erie Flooring and Wood Products that are converted to BioOil through Dynamotive's patented fast pyrolysis process. The plant is the first commercial plant of its kind in the world.
By March 2008, The plant had undergone an upgrade process to increase its nominal capacity to 130 tonnes of biomass
input per day, a 30 % increase in capacity, and to incorporate technological advances that were developed and implemented in Dynamotive's 200 tonne per day capacity plant located in Guelph
, Ontario
. The plant incorporates a 2.5 megawatt electric cogeneration
package developed by Magellan Aerospace
.
, Ontario
. The plant began producing BioOil in Q1 2007 as it ramped up through its commissioning process. The plant operates under the name Evolution Biofuels Inc. Dynamotive will have a minority ownership position in Evolution Biofuels and will be leasing the pyrolysis
unit to the Company. On May 25, 2007 Dynamotive announced that it had completed the initial production run of BioOil in its new generation plant in Guelph
, Ontario
, Canada
. Intermediate grade BioOil, which has higher calorific value than regular BioOil, was produced.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
based Renewable Energy Company which specializes in fast pyrolysis
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures without the participation of oxygen. It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible...
, a process which creates a product named BioOil. Its only other residue is char
Char
Char is the solid material that remains after light gases and tar coal tar have been driven out or released from a carbonaceous material during the initial stage of combustion, which is known as carbonization, charring, devolatilization or pyrolysis.Further stages of efficient combustion are...
. Dynamotive is currently traded on the OTCBB under the symbol DYMTF.
Timeline
Dynamotive was incorporated on April 11, 1991 under the laws of the Province of British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The Company changed its name from Dynamotive Technologies Corporation on June 26, 2001.
2000
BioOil patent acquired from Resource Transforms Ltd. (RTI).
Dynamotive designs and builds 10 tonnes per day (tpd) commercial demonstration plant, (picture of pilot plant)
Dynamotive completes gas turbine tests
2001
Commission of 10 tpd commercial demonstration plant, upgraded to 15 tpd,
TECNA validation of technology
2002
Design and development of a 100 tpd plant
2003
Construction started for 100 tpd plant at Erie Flooring and Wood Products,
West Lorne, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in partnership with UMA Engineering, Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation is a public company wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. OPG is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Sources of electricity include nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and fossil fuel...
,
and Magellan Aerospace
Magellan Aerospace
Magellan Aerospace Corporation is a Canadian manufacturer of aerospace systems and components. Magellan also repairs and overhauls, tests, and provides aftermarket support services for engines, and engine structural components. The company's business units are divided into the product areas of...
(Picture of West Lorne Plant)
2005
Completion of the first commercial plant (West Lorne, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) and launch of
full commercialization of Dynamotive’s technology
First commercial shipments of BioOil
2006
Ground breaking for 200 tpd BioOil plant in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
Entry into strategic partnership with Consensus Business Group
Fabrication and procurement of two 200 tpd plants to be located in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
R&D offices & laboratory opened on University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
campus, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Continued international expansion through Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n master license
2007
Dynamotive launches higher energy content renewable fuel - BioOil Plus
Dynamotive opens offices in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Mobile Fuels
In July 2005 Dynamotive signed an agreement to initiate research on the gasification of BioOil at the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. The research project involves the development of a process for gasification
Gasification
Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil based carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures , without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam...
of BioOil by catalytic steam reforming to produce syngas
Syngas
Syngas is the name given to a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Examples of production methods include steam reforming of natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, the gasification of coal, biomass, and in some types of waste-to-energy...
and/or hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
. Syngas
Syngas
Syngas is the name given to a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Examples of production methods include steam reforming of natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, the gasification of coal, biomass, and in some types of waste-to-energy...
can be further converted into synthetic diesel, a renewable, greenhouse gas neutral fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
that can replace hydrocarbon diesel. With the escalating cost of fossil fuels and the dependence on crude oil as the primary source of energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
for automobiles, it has become increasingly important to develop synthetic fuels.
In April 2009 Dynamotive successfully produced renewable gasoline and diesel from biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
at its research facility in Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
through a novel two-stage upgrading process of its pyrolysis
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures without the participation of oxygen. It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible...
oil, BioOil. The BINGO (Biomass INto GasOil) process involves pyrolysis
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures without the participation of oxygen. It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible...
of lignocellulosic biomass
Lignocellulosic biomass
Lignocellulosic biomass refers to plant biomass that is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The carbohydrate polymers are tightly bound to the lignin...
to produce a primary liquid fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
, BioOil, which is then hydroreformed to a Stage 1 gas-oil equivalent liquid fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
that can either be directly utilized in blends with hydrocarbon fuels for industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
stationary power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
and heating applications or be further upgraded to transportation grade liquid hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
/diesel) in a Stage 2 hydrotreating process.
CQuest
The major by-product from lingo-cellulosic biomassBiomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
pyrolysis
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures without the participation of oxygen. It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible...
is Biochar
Biochar
Biochar or terra preta is charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar is under investigation as an approach to carbon sequestration via bio-energy with carbon capture and storage. Biochar thus has the potential to help mitigate climate change, via carbon sequestration...
which has emerging value for soil productivity enhancement and carbon sequestration. Dynamotive markets its Biochar
Biochar
Biochar or terra preta is charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar is under investigation as an approach to carbon sequestration via bio-energy with carbon capture and storage. Biochar thus has the potential to help mitigate climate change, via carbon sequestration...
under the trade name CQuestTM.
On May 12, 2009 Dynamotive released the results of a year-long test applying Dynamotive’s CQuest Biochar
Biochar
Biochar or terra preta is charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar is under investigation as an approach to carbon sequestration via bio-energy with carbon capture and storage. Biochar thus has the potential to help mitigate climate change, via carbon sequestration...
in commercial farming test plots. The tests revealed an overall increase in crop yield from 6 percent to 17 percent in plots where biochar
Biochar
Biochar or terra preta is charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar is under investigation as an approach to carbon sequestration via bio-energy with carbon capture and storage. Biochar thus has the potential to help mitigate climate change, via carbon sequestration...
was applied versus the control plots.
BioOil
BioOil is an industrial fuel produced from celluloseCellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
waste material. When combusted it produces substantially less smog-precursor nitrogen oxide ('NOx') emissions than conventional oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
as well as little or no sulfur oxide
Sulfur oxide
Sulfur oxide refers to one or more of the following:* Lower sulfur oxides * Sulfur monoxide * Sulfur dioxide * Sulfur trioxide *Higher sulfur oxides Sulfur oxide (SOx) refers to one or more of the following:* Lower sulfur oxides (SnO, S7O2 and S6O2)* Sulfur monoxide (SO)* Sulfur dioxide (SO2)*...
gases ('SOx'), which are a prime cause of acid rain
Acid rain
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
. BioOil and BioOil Plus are price-competitive replacements for heating oils #2 and #6 that are widely used in industrial boilers and furnace. They have been EcoLogo certified, having met stringent environmental criteria for industrial fuels as measured by Environment Canada's Environmental Choice Program. BioOil can be produced from a variety of residue cellulosic biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
resources and is not dependent on food-crop production.
West Lorne
In April 2005 Dynamotive completed its first Demonstration scale plant at West Lorne. This plant at the time could create up to 100tpd.The West Lorne BioOil Cogeneration Project (the first of its kind for pyrolysis technology) is partially funded with a Cdn $5 million contribution from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a foundation created by the Government of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies. Additional support was leveraged from consortia members.
In 2007 Dynamotive signed a contract with Ontario Power Authority
Ontario Power Authority
The Ontario Power Authority is an independent, non-profit corporation established through the Electricity Restructuring Act, 2004...
to supply renewable power under the province's Standard Offer Program ('SOP'). Under the terms of the newly signed contract,
Dynamotive would deliver electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
to the grid from its 2.5 MW cogeneration facility at West Lorne. Dynamotive would sell renewable power to the grid at 11 cents per kilowatt hour, or more, for up to 20 years. Fuel for the plant is derived from wood residues from Erie Flooring and Wood Products that are converted to BioOil through Dynamotive's patented fast pyrolysis process. The plant is the first commercial plant of its kind in the world.
By March 2008, The plant had undergone an upgrade process to increase its nominal capacity to 130 tonnes of biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
input per day, a 30 % increase in capacity, and to incorporate technological advances that were developed and implemented in Dynamotive's 200 tonne per day capacity plant located in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The plant incorporates a 2.5 megawatt electric cogeneration
Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
package developed by Magellan Aerospace
Magellan Aerospace
Magellan Aerospace Corporation is a Canadian manufacturer of aerospace systems and components. Magellan also repairs and overhauls, tests, and provides aftermarket support services for engines, and engine structural components. The company's business units are divided into the product areas of...
.
Guelph
Dynamotive broke ground on October 7, 2006 for the MegaCity Recycling, 200 tonnes per day BioOil plant on a 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) site in GuelphGuelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The plant began producing BioOil in Q1 2007 as it ramped up through its commissioning process. The plant operates under the name Evolution Biofuels Inc. Dynamotive will have a minority ownership position in Evolution Biofuels and will be leasing the pyrolysis
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures without the participation of oxygen. It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible...
unit to the Company. On May 25, 2007 Dynamotive announced that it had completed the initial production run of BioOil in its new generation plant in Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Intermediate grade BioOil, which has higher calorific value than regular BioOil, was produced.