M&G breaks ground on world's largest cellulosic ethanol plant to date

In Italy, Mossi & Ghisolfi Group broke ground on its 13 million gallons per year (50 million liters) cellulosic ethanol production facility in Crescentino in northwestern Italy. The plant will be 10 times larger than the largest demonstration facilities in operation today and is designed to operate on a multitude of cellulosic feedstocks.

It is scheduled to start production in 2012. Novozymes has collaborated closely with M&G for the last couple of years and will supply the enzymes for the plant.

M&G’s plant in Crescentino will be self-sufficient in power. Lignin, a co-product extracted from biomass during the ethanol production process, is burned in an attached power plant that also feeds excess electricity back to the grid.

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