Syntec Biofuel acquisition finalized; pioneer of thermo-chemical process for cellulosic ethanol

The Syntec Biofuel — Wood Energy Resources acquisition has been finalized after closing of more than $1 million in a private placement. Syntec owns and distributes Ethanol Catalyst Technology for conversion of biogas and syngas into ethanol, butanol, methanol and propanol.

They expect to reduce the cost of ethanol to $0.37 per gallon based on conversion of cellulosic biomass such as wood waste, organic waste, corn stover, sugar bagasse, switch grass, poplar, and are moving to the stage of testing catalysts in an industrial environment, prior to moving into the commercialization stage.

Unlike other second generation biofuels producers which use a fermentation process, Syntec uses a thermo-chemical conversion of syngas. After gasifying the biomass, it passes the gas over the catalysts in a fixed bed reactor, similar to the production process for methanol.

Cellulosic ethanol-related activity has perked up considerably this month. U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) announced this week the Senate farm bill will provide $200 million in producer incentives to produce and deliver energy-dedicated crops such as corn cobs, perennial grasses, and wood chips, incentivizing up to 100 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol production.

In California, the Emeryville site of a new $135 million, 65,000 square foot cellulosic biofuels lab at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) was announced. The lab will be funded by the US Department of Energy, and also will benefit from a $500 million grant from BP. In Tennessee last month, The University of Tennessee is ready to voted to construct a pilot cellulosic ethanol plant in Vonore in conjunction with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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