Eastern Kentucky University has teamed up with energy research and defense manufacturing firm General Atomics to look at the potential to develop cellulose-based biodiesel. This story from the Business Lexington says the partnership will create the EKU Center for Renewable and Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT): EKU President Doug Whitlock said the project is important to Kentucky’s farmers looking for cash …
Michigan State Patents Cellulosic Ethanol Process
Michigan State University (MSU) has patented a process to pretreat agricultural waste products that would dramatically reduce the cost of making biofuels from cellulose. According to a university release, The AFEX (ammonia fiber expansion) pretreatment process, developed by MSU chemical engineering professor Bruce Dale, uses ammonia to make the breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose in plants 75 percent more efficient …
USDA Provides Loan for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
In one of his last official acts as Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer announced today that USDA Rural Development has approved the first ever loan guarantee to a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. Under the Biorefinery Assistance Program authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, USDA will provide an $80 million loan to Range Fuels of Soperton, Georgia. When fully operational in …
Florida Funds Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
Florida’s Farm to Fuel initiative is helping to fund the first commercial scale cellulosic ethanol facility in the state. Verenium Corporation has been awarded a $7 million grant as part of the initiative and will work with Florida agribusiness company Lykes Brothers to build the plant in Highlands county. Lykes will provide the necessary feedstock from approximately 20,000 acres adjacent …
Ag Secretary Hearing Touches on Ethanol
President-elect Obama’s choice for Secretary of Agriculture sailed through his Senate confirmation hearings this week and may be confirmed in time to take office on Inauguration Day. As expected, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack faced no opposition in the Senate and no controversial questioning. With regard to biofuels in general and ethanol in particular, Vilsack stressed the importance of moving …
Verenium Back in Compliance
Cellulosic ethanol company Verenium Corporation has regained compliance with the continued listing requirements of the NASDAQ Global Market. NASDAQ previously notified Verenium that it had fallen out of compliance with a rule requiring listed companies on the NASDAQ Global Market to maintain a minimum market capitalization of $50 million. NASDAQ has confirmed that Verenium now meets the requirements of this …
POET Producing Pilot Cellulosic Ethanol
The world’s largest corn ethanol producer is now successfully producing cellulosic ethanol at a pilot plant in South Dakota. According to company officials, POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. is now producing cellulosic ethanol at a rate of 20,000 gallons per year using corn cobs as feedstock. “The start-up of the pilot scale facility has been extremely smooth,” said POET …
Outgoing Ag Secretary Notes Biofuel Gains
The outgoing U.S. Secretary of Agriculture listed advancements in the renewable fuels industry among the accomplishments of the Bush administration over the past eight years. Speaking to reporters this week, Secretary Ed Schafer noted that growth in ethanol and biodiesel production have helped create “remarkable prosperity and growth in the agriculture economy” during the Bush administration. “Looking to the future, …
Cellulosic Ethanol Company Raises Capital
A company claiming to have the capability to produce “third generation” ethanol has raised $34 million to prove it. Colorado-based ZeaChem is developing a cellulose-based green fuels and chemicals biorefinery platform that converts renewable non-food biomass into market-competitive products such as ethanol. The new funds will be used to build ZeaChem’s first cellulosic biorefinery set to begin construction this year. …
Florida Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Approved
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 …