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Report shows progress in cellulosic industry Commercial-scale facilities
The Advanced (Under construction/commissioning) 1 Ethanol Council has 1. Enerkem Edmonton, AB, Canada MSW published a report Syngas, biomethanol, acetates, cellulosic ethanol profiling cellulosic Capacity: 10 MMgy 3 2 9. Fiberight biofuel projects un- 2. Poet-DSM Advanced Biofuels Lawrenceville, VA 6 Emmetsburg. IA 9 MSW, commerical waste, energy crops der development in Waste forestry biomass Cellulosic ethanol/biofuels, cellulosic 5 Ethanol, biogas 8 sugars, biochemcials 4 Capacity: 20 MMgy (expanding to 25 MMgy) the U.S. and Canada. 8. LanzaTech Capacity: 1 MMgy 5. Kior 7 Soperton, GA Fiberight It also highlights ef- 3. Blairstown, Columbus, MS Waste forestry biomass IA Forestry residue Ethanol, chemicals, aviation fuel MSW, non-food waste Cellulosic gasoline forts in China, DenCapacity: 4 MMgy Cellulosic ethanol, Capacity: 13 MMgy 6. Abengoa Bioenergy 4. Enerkem 7. Ineos Bio biobased chemicals mark, Germany, Italy Hugoton, KS Pontotoc, MS Vero Beach, FL Capacity: 6 MMgy Agricultural residues, dedicated MSW, wood residues Vegetative/yard waste, MSW energy crops, prairie grasses Syngas, biomethanol, Cellulosic ethanol, renewable and Spain. The paper Cellulosic ethanol, renewable power acetates, cellulosic ethanol power Capacity: 25 MMgy Capacity: NA Capacity: 8 MMgy clearly shows how much progress the SOURCE: ADVANCED ETHANOL COUNCIL, CELLULOSIC BIOFUELS: INDUSTRY PROGRESS REPORT 2012-2013 industry has made since the renewable production, the cost of production continues fuels standard was amended to include celluto come down. Over the past decade, the losic biofuels 5 years ago. AEC estimates that enzyme costs have been The report points out that despite the reduced by 80 percent. “Cellulosic biofuels global recession, the cellulosic biofuels inare being produced for $2 per gallon or less dustry has facilities and projects under detoday,” the organization said. velopment in more than 20 U.S. states. These projects represent billions of dollars in investment. As more facilities near commercial
30 | Ethanol Producer Magazine | FEBRUARY 2013
DuPont breaks ground on cellulosic plant Construction is now underway at DuPont’s 30 MMgy cellulosic ethanol facility in Nevada, Iowa. The facility, which will cost more than $200 million to construct, is expected to be complete by mid-2014. Once complete, the plant will be among the first and largest commercial-scale ethanol biorefineries in the world. Original plans for the facility called for a nameplate capacity of 28.5 MMgy. Optimization work, however, allowed DuPont to increase the plant’s capacity. The facility will take in corn stover as feedstock. To supply feedstock to the plant, DuPont will contract with more than 500 local farmers to gather, store and deliver more than 375,000 dry tons of stover per year. The company has spent three years working with local farmers to design and test a supply chain to bring stover to the plant gate.