POET CEO, Jeff Broin, announced a new division for the company this morning at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop. POET Biomass will be “a division of POET devoted to managing harvest and transportation logistics for corn cobs – POET’s cellulosic feedstock – as well as waste wood and other feedstocks to be used for cellulosic ethanol and alternative energy projects at their production facilities.”

In addition to the new division, Broin, says the company has installed an anaerobic digester at POET’s pilot cellulosic plant in Scotland, SD to create a “a self-sustaining energy cycle for producing cellulosic ethanol.”

Corn cobs at Project LIBERTY will not only be used to produce ethanol; the liquid waste will go to an anaerobic digester to power the cellulosic plant and offset natural gas usage at the attached grain ethanol plant as well. That’s renewable energy created at the plant, powering the plant and powering the adjacent facility.

2009 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

You can listen to the full press conference below: