Financing is currently the biggest hurdle to building the first generation of pilot scale and industrial cellulosic ethanol plants, say two industry CEOs in a recent Minnesota Public Radio interview. According to Arnold Klann, of BlueFire Ethanol, which is trying to build a cellulosic ethanol plant, “What we’re hearing from all the lenders, and we’ve [...]
Verenium Awarded DOE Funding
Verenium Corp., a pioneer in the development of next-generation cellulosic ethanol and high-performance specialty enzymes, has been awarded an additional $4.9 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to fund ongoing activities at its demonstration-scale facility in Jennings, Louisiana. This cooperative agreement is an extension of the grant previously awarded to the company in [...]
Range Fuels Plans Ethanol Plant for Georgia
Colorado-based Range Fuels Inc. is planning construction of an ethanol plant in Georgia, near Soperton after receiving loan guarantees from the USDA Biorefinery Assistance Program. Production is projected to begin this year, producing biofuel out of pine chips. The biofuel will then be mixed with diesel. Later in the year, the plant will begin producing cellulosic ethanol, [...]
Ethanol Production Hits Record Pace In January
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. ethanol production began 2010 on a record pace that’s 23% higher than in 2009. According to information from the EIA, January 2010 ethanol production averaged more than 818,000 barrels per day (b/d). That’s an increase of 188,000 b/d over January 2009. Ethanol demand, as calculated by the [...]
Cobalt Seeks Beetle-Kill Biofuel
California-based Cobalt Technologies has partnered with Colorado State University to perform engine testing with a gasoline-butanol blend made with the biobutanol from beetle-killed wood. The fuel testing will be performed at Colorado State University’s renowned Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory under the auspices of the university’s Sustainable Bioenergy Development Center. Cobalt Technologies is claiming to [...]
Plum Creek Joins BTEC
Plum Creek, the largest and most geographically diverse private landowner in the U.S., has joined the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) as a Sustaining Member. Plum Creek manages approximately 7 million acres of timberlands in major timber producing regions and wood products manufacturing facilities in the Northwest. The company serves traditional forest product markets as [...]