At Preferred Utilities, we pride ourselves on engineering innovative solutions that help industrial partners embrace cleaner, more sustainable operations. We’re excited to share our role in a groundbreaking Low Carbon Fuel Oil (LCFO) trial conducted at Michelin North America’s Waterville, Nova Scotia facility.

This successful two-week combustion trial marked a major step forward in decarbonizing industrial operations. LCFO, a bio-based fuel produced from forestry residuals, was tested as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels, with impressive results.

Preferred provided critical engineering and system modifications that made the LCFO trial possible. Our team designed and manufactured the fuel train and burners to accommodate LCFO, along with implementing necessary boiler modifications directly on-site.

The integration of LCFO into Michelin’s existing infrastructure was seamless. The facility maintained full operational efficiency while transitioning to this lower-emission fuel source. This was an important proof of concept for future industrial-scale adoption.

This innovative pilot was the result of a strong collaboration between Michelin, Preferred Utilities, Vyterra Renewables, the Verschuren Centre, and Stantec, with support from Invest Nova Scotia and the Greenspring Bio innovation hub. It underscores the importance of partnerships in achieving environmental progress.

“Michelin is on a pathway to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in all our production facilities, logistics operations, and supply chain, world-wide,” said Andrew Mutch, president, Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. “This trial is an exciting step to making net zero emissions in our three Nova Scotia facilities a reality.”

Mutch also emphasized the broader implications: “The potential for this technology at Michelin, as well as in Nova Scotia is exciting. Our world needs competitive technology such as this for a clean and green economy.” (Quotes sourced from Vyterra Renewables’ press release.)

By helping industrial leaders like Michelin adopt renewable fuels, Preferred Utilities is helping shape a more resilient and sustainable future.

To dive deeper into the trial findings and performance metrics, you can access the full report here: Michelin-Vyterra Low Carbon Fuel Oil Trial Report (PDF)