4 of 6 cellulosic ethanol demonstration projects still on track; completion expected in 2009-2011 in NE, IA, CA and GA

BioCycle has published a valuable update on the status of the six cellulosic ethanol demonstration-scale projects that received Department of Energy grants of between $40 and $76 million last year. Since 2007, Iogen and Alico have dropped out of the DOE program; however, BlueFire Ethanol, Range Fuels, POET and Abengoa Energy have pressed forward with proposed projects in California, Iowa, Nebraska and Georgia. Range is using gasification, Abengoa and POET enzymatic hydrolysis, and BlueFire is using acid hydrolysis (the “Arkenol process”). The first project completion is expected to be the Range Fuels plant in late 2009, with the others completed between the end of 2009 and the end of 2011.

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