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GIDARA Energy reveals plan for Advanced Methanol Amsterdam

GIDARA Energy B.V., a Dutch technology-based energy company has announced details of Advanced Methanol Amsterdam (AMA), its first advanced biofuels facility in the Netherlands. The plant will convert non-recyclable waste into advanced methanol that will be used for fuel blending, and therefore meets governmental objectives to achieve carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions as defined in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and transposed into national legislation.

An artist’s rendering of Advanced Methanol Amsterdam (AMA), the first advanced biofuels facility in the Netherlands for GIDARA Energy B.V. that with proprietary gasification technology will convert non-recyclable waste into advanced methanol that will be used for fuel blending (image courtesy GIDARA Energy).

Founded in 2019, GIDARA Energy is a joint venture between G.I. Dynamics B.V., an independent and international technology partner, and Ara Partners LLC, a US-headed private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. GIDARA Energy is focused on converting non-recyclable waste into syngas, a clean and versatile source of energy and/or chemical building block.

The company is the owner of the commercially proven High-Temperature Winkler Gasification Technology (HTW), a biomass gasification technology originally developed by RWE and ThyssenKrupp, and now developed into the next generation HTW 2.0, further improving technical performance.

Converting non-recyclable waste to methanol

The commercial-scale AMA facility is expected to produce an average of 87 500 tonnes-per-annum of advanced methanol from 175 000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste.

Expected to be fully operational in 2024, the plant will utilize the HTW technology that has been both technically and commercially proven for multiple decades in global industrial-scale facilities using biomass and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as feedstock.

Side streams such as green carbon dioxide (CO2) and solid residue are to be used for greenhouses and cement filling, respectively. GIDARA Energy is aiming for near-zero emissions by minimizing overall waste throughout the entire value chain and process integration.

The objective is to contribute to better, more sustainable fuels and a circular economy, while providing port expansion, thus more employment. AMA will be working in close cooperation with local partners and several universities.

We are in a unique position owning a proven gasification process with a track record for this application, which eliminates any major process, or technology risks. We purposely selected this plant’s capacity and configuration because of the experiences in operated facilities, matching local feedstock availability and local blending capacity. Our focus is to establish the AMA facility and use the same configuration at future locations in the Netherlands, Europe, and North America, said Wim van der Zande, CEO at GIDARA Energy.

Port of Amsterdam – A bridge between two markets

The AMA facility will be built in the BioPark, an industrial location in the Port of Amsterdam developed especially for producers of renewable fuels. The state-of-the-art AMA facility will include a knowledge centre complete with a testing facility and pilot plant as well as the commercial-scale plant using GIDARA Energy’s patented HTW technology.

GIDARA Energy’s goal is to contribute to better, more sustainable fuels, all while maintaining a fully circular value chain. The AMA facility will serve the city of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and the rest of Europe with the energy transition to meet Europe’s sustainability objectives.

As part of the energy transition, Port of Amsterdam is working towards more sustainable sources of fuel and achieve overall lower emissions and maximizing recycling. The AMA initiative is a bridge between waste handling and the renewable fuel industry. It is a flagship project to bring us closer to achieving our sustainability objectives, commented Roon van Maanen, Director Energy & Circular Industry at Port of Amsterdam.

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