Non-Food Sources Eyed for Ethanol Production
Published Jul 09, 2008
Although most ethanol now is made from corn, companies are being encouraged to use non-food materials, including the stalks.
As alternative fuels go, ethanol is right in the thick of things. The 2007 federal energy bill mandates production of 36 billion gallons of the fuel by 2022.
Pacific Ethanol Inc., headquartered in Sacramento, is well positioned to take advantage of the coming surge in demand. The company is looking to increase its capacity to 420 million gallons per year by 2010 from 220 million gallons as of mid-2008.
To that end, it’s building a new plant in Stockton, with capacity of 60 million gallons per year.
“Central to our growth strategy is achieving lower process and transportation costs by servicing local markets,” says Tom Koehler, vice president of government affairs and communications. “We’re also working to identify and develop other renewable fuel technologies, such as biodiesel and cellulose-based ethanol production.”
Pacific Ethanol got a boost in this area by obtaining a $24.3 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to build a new cellulosic ethanol plant. Of the 36 billion gallons of production stipulated by the energy bill, 21 billion gallons are required to be cellulosic.
Unlike conventional bioethanol that is made from corn, cellulosic ethanol can be produced from non-food materials such as corn stalks, wood chips and wheat straw. Advocates say this method doubles yield even as it leaves a smaller carbon footprint.
The design for Pacific Ethanol’s pilot plant, to be built in Oregon, will demonstrate the potential of a technology developed by BioGasol ApS of Denmark to produce ethanol from a diverse mixture of biomass.
Koehler says success in the commercialization of cellulose for ethanol technology will allow the United States to replace a significant amount of imported crude oil.
Story by Jon Brooks
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