Envergent to demonstrate renewable fuel for heat and power

Envergent Technologies LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that its technology will be used by Crane & Co. to convert biomass feedstock into a renewable oil to heat and power Crane's Massachusetts facility where it produces paper used for U.S. currency.

Envergent's RTP technology will convert local forest residue into a clean-burning, nearly carbon-neutral liquid biofuel that can be used as a direct replacement for petroleum-based fuel in today's burners and generators.  

Use of the technology will help Crane & Co., which has been the provider of currency paper to the U.S. Treasury for more than 130 years, stabilize energy costs and remain a competitive supplier to the U.S. government. Once approved, the project has the potential to bring nearly 100 new, green jobs to the region.

"For more than two centuries, Crane & Co. has worked to innovate at the highest level while keeping our environmental impact at a minimum," said Charles Kittredge, CEO of Crane & Co. "With the addition of this technology from Envergent and the participation of ReEnergy Holdings and Berkshire Renewable Power, we can better fulfill this promise with a reliable, sustainable fuel source that keeps us competitive in the marketplace, delivers a superior-quality product to our customers and stimulates our local economy."

"To have one of the oldest and most important companies in American history take such a leading position by using renewable oil from RTP for its energy needs speaks to the incredible benefits this technology provides," said David Cepla, managing director for Envergent Technologies. "The success of Crane & Co. and its local partners with RTP will serve as an excellent model for other businesses across the nation and around the world."  

In addition to Envergent Technologies, Crane & Co. is working with Berkshire Renewable Power and ReEnergy Holdings for implementation of the project. All the partners involved will host a demonstration of the process at Crane & Co's. headquarters in Dalton, Mass., on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. (ET).

Because the forest residues to be converted into the renewable liquid fuel will come from the region, Crane's use of renewable power can be thought of as an extension of a larger regional initiative called "Berkshire Grown," which aims to stimulate the area by creating, growing and buying all products locally.  

Envergent Technologies is a joint venture of Honeywell's UOP and Ensyn Corp. It combines nearly 100 years of refining and process technology development from UOP and more than 25 years of biomass conversion technology experience from Ensyn Corp.

RTP technology works by rapidly heating biomass—in this case, forest residue—at ambient pressure to generate high yields of a liquid biofuel. The fuel can be burned in industrial burners and furnaces for heat or to power electric generators. RTP is currently in use in seven commercial biomass processing plants in the U.S. and Canada.