The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of three projects in which DOE plans to invest up to $86 million over four years (FY ’08 – ‘11) to support the development of small-scale cellulosic biorefineries in Old Town, ME; Vonore, TN; and Washington County, KY.
The three small-scale biorefinery projects will use a wide variety of feedstocks and test novel conversion technologies to provide data necessary to commercialize full-scale biorefinery technologies. On average, commercial-scale biorefineries input 700 tons of non-food based feedstock per day, with an output of approximately 20-30 million gallons a year (MMGY). These small-scale facilities will input approximately 70 tons of feedstock per day, with an estimated 2.5 MMGY.
Expected to be operational within four years, the selected small-scale biorefineries projects will produce liquid transportation fuels such as cellulosic ethanol, as well as bio-based chemicals and bio-based products used in industrial applications. Combined with varying industry cost share among the three selected projects, more than $300 million will be invested in these three projects.
These biorefineries will operate at a level equivalent to about 10% of a full-scale commercial plant.
The selected biorefinery projects represent the second round of selections for DOE’s competitive small-scale biorefinery solicitation. Earlier this year, DOE selected four projects in St. Joseph, MO; Commerce City, CO; Boardman, OR; and, Wisconsin Rapids, WI comparable in size and scope of work, to receive up to $114 million in federal funding.
Cellulosic ethanol is an alternative fuel made from a wide variety of plant materials or non-food based feedstocks, including agricultural wastes such as corn stover, forest waste including saw dust and paper pulp, and energy crops, like switchgrass. By refining a variety of regional feedstocks, cellulosic biofuels can be sustainably produced in nearly every region of the country.
According to scientist at DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, compared with conventional gasoline, ethanol produced from cellulosic materials requires as much as 90% less fossil energy to produce and has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 86% over the lifecycle.
Negotiations between the selected companies and DOE will begin immediately to determine final project plans and funding levels. Funding beyond 2008 is subject to appropriations from Congress.
The following three projects were selected:
RSE Pulp & Chemical of Old Town, Maine. (DOE share: up to $30 million.)
The proposed biorefinery facility will be installed in an existing pulp mill in Old Town, Maine, and will produce cellulosic ethanol from lignocellulosic (wood) extract. The project uses a proprietary process for pre-extracting hemicelluloses during the pulping process. This process has been proven on a laboratory and pilot scale, and RSE will now prove the viability of the process at the demonstration plant level. RSE Pulp & Chemical is part of the RSE renewable energy and technology-based business consortium that consists of 22 companies in the U.S. and Canada. RSE Pulp & Chemical participants/investors include: University of Maine Orono, Maine; and American Process Inc Atlanta, Georgia.
Mascoma Corporation of Boston, Massachusetts Proposed Plant in Vonore, Tennessee. (DOE share: up to $26 million.)
The proposed plant will be located in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the Niles Ferry Industrial Park. The facility is scheduled to come online in 2009 and will utilize Tennessee grown switchgrass as a primary feedstock. The plant will be the first cellulosic ethanol facility at this scale in Tennessee and will be used to demonstrate technologies and concepts that will make cellulosic ethanol an economically viable industry in the future. Mascoma was founded in early 2006 with the goal of commercializing cellulosic ethanol. Mascoma is partnering with The University of Tennessee (UT) Knoxville, TN, the UT Research Foundation and Genera Energy LLC, which was created to implement Tennessee Gov. Bredesen’s Biofuels Initiative announced in 2007.
Ecofin, LLC, of Nicholasville, Kentucky. (DOE share: up to $30 million)
The proposed plant will be located in Washington County, Kentucky. The biorefinery will use novel, solid-state enzymatic complexes to convert a potentially wide range of lingocellulosic feedstocks, including corncobs, to ethanol and other nutritious feed sources, minimizing waste. Ecofin, LLC is a subsidiary to Alltech Inc.
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