Plans for a cellulosic ethanol plant in Highlands County, Florida were approved by county commissioners last week.

The commissioners granted a special use permit for Verenium to build a cellulosic biofuels plant on 95 acres land currently owned by Lykes Brothers farms.

Officials say the plant will cost about $350 million to construct and will produce 36 million gallons of ethanol per year.

About 400,000 tons of dried feed stocks, mostly high fiber sugar cane, will be needed and all of the plant material will be grown by Lykes Brothers on its 35,000 acres of farmland surrounding the proposed plant.