University of Florida to scale back, move proposed cellulosic ethanol plant; wider range of feedstocks to be tested

In Florida, leaders at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences said that they have reduced the scale of a proposed cellulosic ethanol plant to meet the $20 million budget established by the Florida legislature. The plant will produce cellulosic ethanol as well as plastics by-products, and will expand its feedstocks to include forest products as well as sugarcane residues.

The plant will no longer be constructed at the original Florida Crystals site in Okeelanta, but will be located closer to the University of Florida in Gainesville to utilize the expertise of the university staff and labs with great efficiency.

Last year Florida Crystals sought a change in Palm County ordinances to permit commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants to be built in industrial zones. The company proposed one of eight plants in progress around the state, based on the 2 Mgy demonstration-scale plant that is scheduled for construction at the company’s Okeelanta mill. The Okeelanta site is also home to the largest biomass-to-electricity plant in the country, using 1.75 million tonnes of biomass (including sugarcane bagasse) to generate electricity.

Florida’s biofuels plan has been criticized by the Associated Industries of Florida as “too much, too soon.” The Governor called for $200 million in incentives for solar, wind and biofuels, a biodiesel mandate, a reduction in utility energy by 20 percent and a 45 percent increase in building efficiency by 2018.Recently, Florida state agriculture commissioner Charlie Bronson said five ethanol plants were in the planning process in the state, and U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, added that the state has as much as 60 Mgy in production capacity based on citrus waste. The two spoke to the 25 x 25 group, which aims to reduce US energy dependence on foreign oil by 25 percent by 2025.

The Florida state government awarded grants totaling $25 million to 12 biofuels and renewable energy companies as the state moves forward with its Farm-to-Fuel goal of producing 25 percent of Florida’s energy needs by 2025 using Florida agricultural resources.

Among the projects, US EnviroFuels received a $7 million grant towards its 20 Mgy sweet sorghum ethanol plant in Venus. $7 million also was awarded to Gulf Coast Energy of Walton for its $62 million ethanol and biodiesel project in Mossy Head, while $1.5 million was awarded to Renergie to design and build Florida’s first sweet sorghum juice mechanical harvesting system and ethanol plant.
Biofuels Digest Index component stock Xethanol was one of the beneficiaries when its Southland Biofuels subsidiary received $500,000 towards its $6.4 million pilot plant in Auburndale that will produce ethanol from citrus waste.

The Florida Institute of Technology received $415,000 for microalgae project in conjunction with California’s Aurora BioFuels, while Neptune Industries received $158,000 for an algae biodiesel research project. Other grants totaling $4.5 million went to Liberty Industries, Agri-Source Fuels and Sigarca for waste-based biodiesel and ethanol projects.

In Florida, 139 proposals were submitted for state funding through the Renewable Energy Technologies Grant Program.

Grants were awarded based on economic potential, energy efficiency and cost share percentage. Applicants sought $200 million in grant funding and pledged $700 in cost share funding. In 2007, the state awarded $15 million in grants.

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