KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Innovation Valley
economic development area in and around Knoxville, Tennessee, has its
sights set high -- and may have just pulled into the lead -- in the race to
develop marketable biofuels from non-food biomass.
The Tennessee Biofuels Initiative led by the University of Tennessee
(UT) Research Foundation and bolstered by hefty funding from the State will
partner with DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE) to construct a
pilot-scale biorefinery and state-of-the-art research and development
facility for cellulosic ethanol. The facility, to be built in Niles Ferrry
Industrial Park 30 miles south of Knoxville in Vonore, Tennessee, will
process two non-food feedstocks -- corncobs and switchgrass -- from farms
around the Innovation Valley.
The biorefinery is expected to give hard-hit Tennessee farmers
additional market opportunities.
Plant capacity will be 250,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually.
Site preparations are scheduled to begin this fall, and ethanol should be
available from the pilot plant by December 2009.
Innovation Valley's economic development community is upbeat about the
expanded partnership.
"Obviously, the cost of energy has gone up, and shows little sign of
retreating," says Doug Lawyer, the Knoxville Chamber's director of economic
development. "The Innovation Valley is uniquely positioned to lead the way
to the commercialization of new technologies. The region's assets will also
help the companies that develop those technologies become successful."
Biofuels research is also a major research area at nearby Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, which is managed by the University of Tennessee in
partnership with Battelle. The National Transportation Research Center is
also located in the Innovation Valley.
Ground-breaking ceremonies at the Niles Ferry site are scheduled for
September.
"We are eager to get the steel in the ground," said DuPont Danisco
Technology Leader John Pierce.
"The technical breadth and execution capabilities of DuPont Danisco
raises the national and international profile of the Tennessee Biofuels
Initiative and confirms the State of Tennessee as a leader in the
development of cellulosic ethanol," said UT President John Petersen said.
In 2007 the Tennessee legislature set aside $40.7 million toward the
construction of a pilot biorefinery. These funds will be combined with
as-yet unspecified investment from DuPont Danisco to construct the
Innovation Valley facility.
Biomass ethanol research and production is "fundamental to positioning
Tennessee to take advantage of the economic opportunities of the future,"
said Gov. Phil Bredesen.
The business plan developed by UT Institute of Agriculture researchers
ultimately envisions a biofuels industry capable of supplementing 30
percent of Tennessee's current petroleum consumption.
Innovation Valley Inc. is a regional partnership created of the Blount
County Chamber of Commerce, Knoxville Chamber, Loudon County Economic
Development Agency, Oak Ridge Economic Partnership, The Roane Alliance, and
Tellico Reservoir Development Agency. For more information about the
Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley, visit http://www.innovationvalleyinc.org/
or call Garrett Wagley at the Knoxville Chamber, 1-865-637-4550
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