Special Report on Cellulosic Ethanol: France establishes national CE development project

In France, the national development agency OSEO has established a Futurol project, an advanced biofuels R&D project aimed at the “development and marketing of a complete production process for 2nd generation bioethanol from whole plants or from lignocellulosic biomass.” OSEO gave a $43 million grant, and the project as a whole has raised $107 million for an eight-year research agenda, including a pilot plant at Pomacle- Bazancourt, in Marne.

The French national project is the only comprehensive and integrated R&D project outside of the US focused on CE development. In addition, it is the only national laboratory-style program anywhere that envisions a pilot CE production project owned by a national government.

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