New cellulosic biofuels plant in US sets 2016 opening

California-based Canergy, an advanced biofuels company focused on the production of ultra-low carbon intensity ethanol from sustainable non-food energy crops, is to work with chemical engineering and renewable processes business Chemtex, and cellulosic biofuels producer Beta Renewables, for the development of a 25 million gallon a year cellulosic biofuels facility.

Construction of the new facility, to be located in the Imperial Valley, is targeted to begin in the first quarter of 2014, pending successful completion of permitting and financial activities. The facility is expected to be operational in 2016.

‘California is the country’s largest retail gasoline market and this first project’s biofuel will facilitate obligated parties compliance with California policy directives to reduce their carbon footprint through 2020,’ says Canergy CEO Tim Brummels.

The Imperial Valley’s 450,000 acres of irrigated farmland is a productive growing region and Tim Kelley, CEO of Imperial Valley Economic Development, adds: ‘This cellulosic facility will create over 100 full-time jobs and will have a major ripple effect on our agribusiness economy.”

Beta Renewables’ Proesa-brand technology will convert Canergy’s energy cane feedstock, bagasse and residual cane straw, to produce cellulosic ethanol. The technology is being used at the world’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Crescentino, Italy plus it will be used in a series of plants to be built by GranBio in Brazil.