Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Making Cellulosic Ethanol at Sugar Cane Plants—Startup Edeniq next year will make ethanol from…
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/507621/making-cellulosic-ethanol-at-sugar-cane-plants/[font face=Serif]Martin LaMonica
November 17, 2012
[font size=5]Making Cellulosic Ethanol at Sugar Cane Plants[/font]
[font size=4]Startup Edeniq next year will make ethanol from sugar cane bagasse at an existing ethanol plant, a bolt-on approach geared at lowering capital costs.[/font]
[font size=3]Of the many approaches to making biofuel from non-food sources, locating a cellulosic ethanol line at an existing corn or sugar cane ethanol plant promises to be one that lowers capital costs.
Biofuel startup Edeniq this week said it has begun construction of a demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol operation at a sugar cane plant owned by Usina Vale in Brazil. Edeniq’s process will make fuel from bagasse, the material left over after juice has been extracted from sugar cane plants. The ethanol will be added to the plant’s existing production.
The amount of money needed for this “bolt-on” is lower than building a stand-alone facility, says Edeniq CEO Brian Thome. In addition to technical and engineering problems, many advanced biofuels companies have struggled to fund large-scale operations since financiers are wary of new technology.
“The whole goal all long has been to plug in and utilize the billions of dollars already put into the industry in the U.S. and Brazil,” Thome says.
…[/font][/font]
November 17, 2012
[font size=5]Making Cellulosic Ethanol at Sugar Cane Plants[/font]
[font size=4]Startup Edeniq next year will make ethanol from sugar cane bagasse at an existing ethanol plant, a bolt-on approach geared at lowering capital costs.[/font]
[font size=3]Of the many approaches to making biofuel from non-food sources, locating a cellulosic ethanol line at an existing corn or sugar cane ethanol plant promises to be one that lowers capital costs.
Biofuel startup Edeniq this week said it has begun construction of a demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol operation at a sugar cane plant owned by Usina Vale in Brazil. Edeniq’s process will make fuel from bagasse, the material left over after juice has been extracted from sugar cane plants. The ethanol will be added to the plant’s existing production.
The amount of money needed for this “bolt-on” is lower than building a stand-alone facility, says Edeniq CEO Brian Thome. In addition to technical and engineering problems, many advanced biofuels companies have struggled to fund large-scale operations since financiers are wary of new technology.
“The whole goal all long has been to plug in and utilize the billions of dollars already put into the industry in the U.S. and Brazil,” Thome says.
…[/font][/font]
