DOE moderated a session on the path for commercialization. The panel consisted of several cellulosic ethanol innovators who outlined business plans, feedstock thoughts, and growth prospects.
Verenium Corporation enzymes for cellulosic biofuels, with two joint partnerships with BP. Working in Florida for a cellulosic pilot. Cannot afford to loose momentum. Infrastructure incompatibility is bogus argument � we�d never have the internet. Lets build something for the next 100 years.
Abengoa Bioenergy in Kansass. First commercial facility $550m project. Has technology to reprocess biomass (corn stover, wood straw, switchgrass) to ethanol then burn wastes for electricity. Plant will start up in 2012.
Range Fuels is a Kosla Ventures (VA venture firm) project with $76 million grant from DOE, $80 m loan from USDA, various Georgia state and local incentives, Private financing greater than $100m. Making Good progress.
Iogen has been active since late 1970s and has many partners including VW and Shell. Cellulosic plant in Canada has been active since 2004. 580,000 liters produced in 2009. Iogen sees a future with additional government support for ethanol but not at the expense of other alternate fuels.
Mascoma founded by Dartmouth college professors and has relationship with DOE, GM and many others. As a feedstock, pulp wood and wood waste is stably priced and a good fit with declining paper industry in the US.
Coskata is building facilities and licensing technology now, with an emphasis on feedstock flexibility. They believe 90 billion gallons of fuel grade cellulosic ethanol is doable. Fuel flexibility allows working and collocation with other facilities including corn ethanol. Coskata is working on a full-scale project in Southeast United States to produce 50-60 million gallons of fuel grade ethanol.