Mercurius Biorefining

Mercurius is developing and scaling up its novel REACH™ technology, a low cost process which converts cellulosic biomass wastes to hydrocarbons in the diesel, jet, and marine fuels ranges as well as renewable chemicals like FDCA and bio-char for carbon sequestration.
Through a process of innovative applications of existing technology, Mercurius is developing a non- fermentation, non-alcohol based, “faster ~cheaper~ better” method of producing sustainable and profitable drop-in, carbon negative fuels and renewable chemicals from biomass waste streams. REACH™ stands for Renewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation Hydrotreating and is inherently more capital efficient than competing technologies. REACH™ technology will be a very important climate change mitigation technology.
Mercurius simultaneously addresses five key issues:
  • The urgent need for a reliable, economic, scalable, sustainable, domestically produced drop-in renewable fuel.
  • The production of carbon negative renewable fuels and chemicals within a highly profitable business platform.
  • The ongoing need to produce renewable fuels and chemicals from non-food biomass feedstocks.
  • The reduction of economically unsustainable dependency on imports and production of fossil fuels.
  • ​​​​​​​The sustainable production of carbon negative renewable fuels and chemicals in economically distressed rural areas.

Mercurius Australia

Mercurius Australia logoMercurius Australia logo
Mercurius Australia was established in 2012 and has been actively involved in Queensland ever since. Mercurius Australia were proud recipients of a successful Biofutures grant in 2017/18 to validate our REACH™ technology in Australia and we are currently starting up a pilot plant in Mackay, Queensland that was funded through additional State grants and private funding. The commitment that Mercurius Australia has made/is making to the future BioEconomy of Queensland is important.
Mercurius Australia is very focused on nurturing and developing human resources in our regional biorefinery communities. Mercurius has always been committed to a triple bottom line approach to doing business and will continue that tradition in Australia. Mercurius envisions bringing life back to previously prosperous agricultural, timber and paper producing rural areas that have seen their businesses disappear and their younger generations leave for lack of opportunity. Mercurius intends to help turn that around by using its RESCUE (Renewable Energy & Sustainable Communities) Initiative. Mercurius Australia seeks to build a program that will create a multilevel, community-based education and workplace training platform in its biorefinery communities, providing upwardly mobile education and training opportunities. Furthermore, the RESCUE Initiative will provide a means for employment in the renewable fuels and chemicals sector for young and underserved populations in those rural communities giving them renewed hope and inspiration for their future. We have been actively pursuing a new paradigm for the growers of sugar cane and their millers. Additionally, we have conducted several Cane Growers meetings in QLD and are pursuing a collaborative approach with millers to meet our biorefinery feedstock requirements. In short, we are digging into the fabric of regional agricultural norms to try to improve efficiency and equity. Mercurius Australia is in it for the long haul.
Mercurius Australia is very focused on nurturing and developing human resources in our regional biorefinery communities. Mercurius has always been committed to a triple bottom line approach to doing business and will continue that tradition in Australia. Mercurius envisions bringing life back to previously prosperous agricultural, timber and paper producing rural areas that have seen their businesses disappear and their younger generations leave for lack of opportunity. Mercurius intends to help turn that around by using its RESCUE (Renewable Energy & Sustainable Communities) Initiative. Mercurius Australia seeks to build a program that will create a multilevel, community-based education and workplace training platform in its biorefinery communities, providing upwardly mobile education and training opportunities. Furthermore, the RESCUE Initiative will provide a means for employment in the renewable fuels and chemicals sector for young and underserved populations in those rural communities giving them renewed hope and inspiration for their future. We have been actively pursuing a new paradigm for the growers of sugar cane and their millers. Additionally, we have conducted several Cane Growers meetings in QLD and are pursuing a collaborative approach with millers to meet our biorefinery feedstock requirements. In short, we are digging into the fabric of regional agricultural norms to try to improve efficiency and equity. Mercurius Australia is in it for the long haul.

Why the name Mercurius?


Who was Mercurius Ter Maximus, and why was he chosen as a symbol to represent the goals of a company?
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Mercurius is a combination of the gods of writing and of knowledge; the Greek god of interpretive communication, the Egyptian god of wisdom and Roman god of astrology and alchemy. His influence over alchemy, which had the goal of turning a plentiful element (lead) into a precious rare element (gold), seemed to fit neatly with the mission of Mercurius Biorefining - to produce diesel, jet fuel and green chemicals (gold) from waste feedstock (lead).