Cellulosic ethanol project hits milestone in US

ZeaChem, a  developer of biorefineries, has announced the production of commercial-grade cellulosic chemicals and ethanol at its 250,000 gallons per year facility in Oregon.

Among the first operational cellulosic biorefineries in the world, Zeachem’s demonstration facility showcases the scalability of biorefining processes and serves as a stepping-stone toward large-scale commercial production.

‘We feel we are developing the first truly-integrated biorefineries for the production of a broad portfolio of economical and sustainable biofuels and bio-based chemicals,’ says Jim Imbler, CEO of ZeaChem.

Development of its first commercial biorefinery is currently underway, backed by a conditional loan guarantee from the US Department of Agriculture. The facility will have capacity to produce 25 million gallons per year of ethanol and chemicals from woody biomass and agricultural residues.