DoE funds Poet, Mascoma and Novazymes
The US department of Energy (DoE) has awarded funds to promote the build-up of cellulosic ethanol production. Poet, the largest producer of ethanol in the world, will receive $76.3 million (59.5 million Euros) to commercialise cellulosic ethanol production technology.
In February 2007, Poet was selected by the DOE for a total award of up to $80 million in federal funding for the construction of a commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility.
The first phase of the agreement was signed in October 2007 and provided Poet with an initial $3.7 million for preliminary design, engineering and feedstock collection.
DoE has also invested $26 million in Mascoma's Michigan commercial cellulosic ethanol plant.
The funding brings to nearly $50 million the amount the Massachusetts-based company has raised for the $250 million plant.
Once fully operational, the new facility will manufacture 40 million gallons a year of ethanol fuel from non-food sources, mostly wood waste from Upper Peninsula forests along with some agricultural biomass.
Biofuels solutions company Novozymes has also been awarded a $12.3 million contract to improve the enzymes necessary to produce cellulosic ethanol. Novozymes' project DECREASE (Development of a Commercial-Ready Enzyme Application System for Ethanol) aims to improve the performance of Novozymes' most advanced enzyme system, to further reduce the cost of cellulosic ethanol production.
Cellulosic ethanol produced from plants materials such as corn cobs and switchgrass has the potential to cut life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 86% relative to petrol.
In February 2007, Poet was selected by the DOE for a total award of up to $80 million in federal funding for the construction of a commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility.
The first phase of the agreement was signed in October 2007 and provided Poet with an initial $3.7 million for preliminary design, engineering and feedstock collection.
DoE has also invested $26 million in Mascoma's Michigan commercial cellulosic ethanol plant.
The funding brings to nearly $50 million the amount the Massachusetts-based company has raised for the $250 million plant.
Once fully operational, the new facility will manufacture 40 million gallons a year of ethanol fuel from non-food sources, mostly wood waste from Upper Peninsula forests along with some agricultural biomass.
Biofuels solutions company Novozymes has also been awarded a $12.3 million contract to improve the enzymes necessary to produce cellulosic ethanol. Novozymes' project DECREASE (Development of a Commercial-Ready Enzyme Application System for Ethanol) aims to improve the performance of Novozymes' most advanced enzyme system, to further reduce the cost of cellulosic ethanol production.
Cellulosic ethanol produced from plants materials such as corn cobs and switchgrass has the potential to cut life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 86% relative to petrol.
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