Sorghum benefits spur on biofuels alliance

An lliance between ethanol producer Calgren Renewable Fuels (CRF) and feedstock supplier Chromatin will open up a new local supply chain for sorghum in California, US.

The multi-year agreement will see up to 30,000 acres of sorghum grain being grown and supplied to CRF, which makes more than 55 million gallons of ethanol a year.

Chromatin will work with Californian growers that are attracted to sorghum's water efficiency and tolerance to heat. In addition, the residue left over from the harvest of sorghum grain can be used as animal feed, or as a feedstock for biogas or cellulosic biofuel production.

‘Growers located near the CRF facility recognise the benefits of growing a water-efficient crop like sorghum, and we are pleased that our products provide an alternative to corn that can be used in ethanol production,’ says Chromatin CEO Daphne Preuss.

CRF claims its fuel ethanol plant, which opened in 2009, is the longest running facility in California.