Large-scale cellulosic ethanol plant opens in the US

IOWA–POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC, a joint venture of Royal DSM and POET, LLC, held the grand opening of its revolutionary technology that converts agricultural residue into renewable fuel in its first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa.

Named "Project LIBERTY," the plant was formally opened in the presence of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Deputy Under Secretary Michael Knotek of the Department of Energy, Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa, other dignitaries and thousands of guests.

Project LIBERTY has started processing its first batch of biomass into cellulosic ethanol as it moves forward toward continuous operation converting baled corn cobs, leaves, husk and stalk into renewable fuel. At full capacity, it can convert 770 tonnes of biomass per day to produce ethanol at a rate of 20 million gallons per year, later ramping up to 25 million gallons per year.

This first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility marks the adoption of biofuels in North America and the rest of the world. It is also a major step forward for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which encourages investment into advanced biofuels. The RFS aims to push the U.S. beyond 10 percent ethanol use to allow this new technology to expand to other parts of the country. In other parts of the world, the development of cellulosic ethanol is expected to further promoted by POET-DSM's Liberty process and technology to effectively convert agricultural residue using a proprietary cocktail of enzymes and yeast becomes available via licensing.

The whole project cost amounted to $275 million. Fuel from Project LIBERTY represents a GHG reduction of 85%-95% over gasoline. The plant employs more than 50 people directly, and biomass harvesting is creating another 200 indirect jobs in the community