Consumables
DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC Breaks Ground for First Biofuels Pilot Facility
Wednesday 15. October 2008 - Facility to Open in 2009 Converting Corn Cob and Switchgrass to Cellulosic Ethanol
DuPont (NYSE:DD) today announced the cellulosic ethanol joint venture, DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE), has broken ground for its first pilot-scale biorefinery and state-of-the-art biofuels research and development facility in Vonore, Tenn.
The joint venture has partnered with the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, through Genera Energy LLC, to develop the pilot facility and the agronomic supply chain for switchgrass in Tennessee. The facility will convert non-food feedstocks, including corn cob and switchgrass, into ethanol and will allow for commercial introduction without the need for demonstration scale testing. It is expected to be operational in 2009.
“We must have speed to market to make our efforts in advanced biofuels a reality, and this pilot facility in Tennessee is allowing us to move forward,” said Nick Fanandakis, group vice president — DuPont Applied BioSciences. “We are committed to commercializing this technology for global markets on an accelerated schedule to deliver world-class, low-cost and fully integrated technology packages to convert non-food renewable materials into biofuels.”
The pilot-scale biorefinery will develop the commercial package for DDCE’s leading cellulosic ethanol technology. The project will utilize the world-class expertise of the University of Tennessee in cellulosic feedstock production and co-product research, as well as its work with Tennessee farmers to develop the first dedicated cellulosic energy crop supply chain for cellulosic biorefineries utilizing switchgrass. The facility design will incorporate the flexibility to operate on two different non-food biomass feedstocks — corn stover, cobs and fiber; and switchgrass.
In 2007 Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed and the legislature set aside $40.7 million toward the construction of a pilot biorefinery. The funds will be combined with a substantial investment from DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol to construct the high-tech research facility.
In addition, the University of Tennessee has invested state research funding to develop switchgrass as a dedicated cellulosic energy crop. Sixteen east Tennessee farmers participated in the first round of sponsored switchgrass production, working a combined 723 acres in 2008 as part of the university’s research into supply chain logistics for cellulosic biorefineries. The switchgrass established this year will produce more biomass per acre over time. The Tennessee Biofuels Initiative is a farm-to-fuel business plan developed by the university’s Institute of Agriculture researchers that models a biofuels industry capable of supplementing 30 percent of Tennessee’s current petroleum consumption.