The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Buckeye Technologies Inc. and Myriant Technologies LLC (formed by BioEnergy International, LLC) have announced plans for a research and demonstration plant that will explore ways to make environmentally friendly versions of petroleum products by harnessing byproducts from various cellulosic ethanol production technologies.
Florida Legistlature has allocated $20 million for the plant, which will be located at Buckeye’s Perry, Fla., facility. The groundbreaking is planned for this fall, with an ultimate goal of proving a level of commercial viability that could lead to a full-scale biorefinery at the site.
The project will seek to combine several UF-developed technologies. The plant will employ cellulosic ethanol production technology now licensed to Verenium Corp. and used in demonstration plants around the globe. This will be combined with technology licensed to Myriant to make biobased chemicals with many potential applications, such as biodegradable forms of plastic.
“We’re trying to break our dependence on petroleum. Fuel is a big part of that, but it’s not the only part,” said Lonnie Ingram, the UF distinguished professor of microbiology and cell science who led development of the technology. “Learning how to develop these valuable byproducts not only helps to make cellulosic ethanol more economically feasible, but it takes the environmental impact of cellulosic ethanol and extends it to new areas—like plastic water bottles that won’t take up space in a landfill for thousands of years.”
Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Buckeye is a leading producer of cellulose-based specialty products. The company owns and operates a wood cellulose plant in Perry in addition to cotton cellulose manufacturing operations in Memphis and Americana, Brazil.
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