Canadian biodiesel producer Innoltek Inc., based in Thetford Mines, Quebec, where it operates a 5 MMly (1.32 MMgy) biodiesel and biodegradable industrial products facility, has acquired the 19 MMly Evoleum biodiesel plant formerly known as QFI Biodiesel in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.

Innoltek plans to invest an undisclosed amount of capital to improve operations and logistics at the newly acquired plant while continuing to operate its facility in Thetford Mines, Quebec. The St-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant had never reached full production capacity of 19 MMly when operating on used cooking oils, but Innoltek CEO Simon Doray said the capital investment will help achieve full nameplate capacity to manufacture biodiesel from animal fats by third quarter this year. Meanwhile, the plant will operate this quarter at a reduced output of 6 MMly. 

“Our acquisition of the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant is fairly important in this province,” Doray told Biodiesel Magazine. “There are only two biodiesel producers in Quebec now—Darling [aka Rothsay] in St. Catherine, and Innoltek, operating in Thetford Mines and soon also in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.”

Late last year the Canadian federal government released the preliminary Clean Fuel Standard regulatory framework, and though Quebec does not currently have a provincial biodiesel mandate, Doray noted the ministry has committed to enacting a biodiesel requirement by 2020.

Doray said the acquisition is consistent with Innoltek’s growth strategy of owning a biodiesel production facility in the greater Montreal metro region with rail access, and becoming a biodiesel production leader in Eastern Canada with multiple plants.