Four new Biomass Crop Assistance Program project areas

June 17, 2011 |

In Washington, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced four additional Biomass Crop Assistance Program project areas to promote the cultivation of crops that can be processed into renewable energy. Acreage in Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania will be designated to grow giant miscanthus, a sterile hybrid warm-season grass that can be converted into energy to be used for heat, power, liquid biofuels, and bio-based products.

Project Area Number 2 is in Arkansas and targets 2011 enrollment of 5,588 acres in Clay, Craighead, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, and Randolph counties. The sponsor for this project is MFA Oil Biomass and the project area surrounds the co-op’s biomass conversion facility in Paragould, Ark.

Project Area Number 3 is in Missouri, and targets 2011 enrollment of 3,000 acres in Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, Monroe and Randolph counties. The sponsor for this project is MFA Oil Biomass and the project area surrounds the co-op’s biomass conversion facility in Columbia, Mo.

Project Area Number 4 is in Missouri, and targets 2011 enrollment of 5,250 acres in Barry, Christian, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence, Newton, and Stone counties. The sponsor for this project is MFA Oil Biomass and the project area surrounds the co-op’s biomass conversion facility in Aurora, Mo.

Project Area Number 5 is in parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania and targets 2011 enrollment of 5,344 acres in Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull, Ohio, and Crawford, Erie, and Mercer counties, Pennsylvania. The sponsor for this project is Aloterra Energy, and the project area surrounds the company’s biomass conversion facility in Ashtabula, Ohio.

Yields for biomass from giant miscanthus are expected to range between 10 and 12 tons of dry matter per acre and can be as high as 15 tons per acre, and each of the four project areas and conversion facilities would earn about $50 million per year.

Category: Policy

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