PharmAust subsidiary Epichem in waste-to-fuels tilt

ASX-listed PharmAust’s fully owned subsidiary Epichem has entered into a joint venture deal to develop a “disruptive” waste-to-fuels technology using biomass and feedstock.

Under the 50:50 joint venture agreement, medicinal and synthetic chemistry group Epichem and new JV partner Obsidian Minerals will set up the Perren company with the aim of developing and commercialising the biomass/feedstock oxidative hydrothermal dissolution, or “OHD” chemical process that can turn waste into fuels.

Invented by Australian Ken Anderson, founder and Chief Technology Officer of US-based Thermaquatica, the patented technology is being looked at by Perren under a research licence agreement.

It is designed, via what is known as a benchtop flow reactor unit, to use oxygen and water at high temperature and pressure to break down input materials and form useful end products.

According to the equal JV partners, the technology is a world-first because of its potential to turn a wide range of waste and biomass feedstock into valuable fuels, fine chemicals, agricultural growth stimulants and ethanol.

Epichem and new Perren Chief Executive Officer, Colin La Galia said: “The technology could make a significant contribution in our local capacity to deal with waste and produce diesel, liquid fuels, biofuels, liquid fertilisers and biostimulants.”

“The flow reactor may help WA’s focus on sovereign capability to produce our own ethanol for our PPE requirements in Australia including the manufacture of hand sanitiser.”

“It can be scaled up for a range of industry partners and create employment opportunities in WA and Australia moving forward. We are seeking government grants and funding support and investment to create the benchtop flow reactor.”

Perth-based Epichem says the OHD process has the potential to convert plastics into renewable fuels and useful chemicals; coal into diesel, agricultural biostimulants, diesel and fine chemicals; rubber tyres into liquid fuels and valuable chemical products; trees into biofuel and fine chemicals; leftover stock or crops into liquid fuel; and agricultural waste into biofuel and agricultural biostimulants.

Perren intends putting a benchtop flow unit through its paces to investigate the use of OHD to process various feedstocks to generate commercially useful chemical compounds or to transform feedstocks in such a way that they are amenable to further processing into useful materials, substances and chemical compounds.

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