A web site dedicated to the exchange of information on switchgrass and other biomass energy crops has been launched at BiomassConnections.com. “The focus of the site is to allow producers and stakeholders to openly share ideas and experiences gleaned from raising and marketing switchgrass and other biomass energy crops,” says site host and switchgrass farmer Andy Bater. “Our intention with …
Biomass Conversion Technology Development
A Texas company is moving forward with technology that converts non-food biomass into chemicals that can be processed into ethanol and other renewable fuels. Terrabon has developed and is currently licensing its MixAlco™ biomass conversion technology to commercial customers. The company will dedicate its research facility on November 7 in Bryan, Texas to test the scaled-up commercial feasibility of the …
Pilot Switchgrass Ethanol Plant Breaks Ground
A new pilot plant that broke ground in Tennessee last week will be testing the use of switchgrass as a feedstock for cellulosic ethanol. Genera Energy is a partnership between the University of Tennessee and DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, a joint venture formed this year by DuPont and Genencor to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. On hand to celebrate the groundbreaking …
Clemson Gets Ethanol Research Grant
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $1.2 million grant to Clemson University in South Carolina to assess the potential of switchgrass and sweet sorghum as feedstocks to produce ethanol in the southeast. The grant also will fund development of a small-scale biofuel processing plant at Clemson University’s Restoration Institute in North Charleston. The South Carolina Bioenergy Research Collaborative …
GM Studies Cellulosic Ethanol in China
General Motors and partner Coskata are working together to develop and commercialize second generation ethanol in China. David S. Chen, vice president of GM China Group, said, “According to the China Automotive Energy Research Center, GM has already begun successfully validating the automotive energy resource potential for sustainable biofuels in China.” Chen said China can produce cellulosic ethanol on marginal …
Managing Water for Future Ethanol Sustainability
The amount of water that goes into growing the corn that goes into ethanol has been a big topic of conversation between those for and against production of the green fuel. That’s why it is a topic of conversation at the Farm Foundation’s Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Impacts Conference in St. Louis this week. This gathering of …
Cellulosic Ethanol Company Goes Public
A South Dakota-based cellulosic ethanol company has gone public and changed its name. KL Process Design Group is now KL Energy Corp, a move that will help the company generate funding to develop its second commercial scale cellulosic ethanol production facility. Since January of 2008, the KL has been producing cellulosic ethanol using waste wood as feedstock, at a commercial …
Mascoma Announces Funding for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
Mascoma Corporation will receive a total of $26.0 million in funding from the Department of Energy and an overall contribution of $23.5 million from the State of Michigan for the development of a cellulosic fuel production facility that uses non-food biomass to convert woodchips into fuel. Mascoma executives made the announcement Tuesday with officials from the DOE, Michigan Governor Jennifer …
DOE Finalizes Funding for Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
The U.S. Department of Energy will award more than $76 million to POET for the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol production technology. In February 2007, POET was selected by the DOE for a total award of up to $80 million in federal funding for the construction of a commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility. The first phase of the agreement was signed …
Corvette Powered by Cellulosic Ethanol Wins Green Challenge
The Corvette Racing team of Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen and Ron Fellows went down in history as the inaugural winners of the Green Racing Challenge. The 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans win also cinched the American Le Man Series GT1 championship for O’Connell and Magnussen. The No. 3 Corvette C6.R also had the best score in the Green Challenge, securing the …