Topic: White House report: Develop more crops for biofuels

[Dan M]

Vercipia to start cellulosic ethanol plant construction this year

Vercipia Biofuels aims to begin construction this year of a 36 million gallon a year plant in south-central Florida that will use proprietary technology to convert nearly all the sugars in energy cane feedstock into ethanol.



Vercipia has applied for a loan guarantee from the US Energy Department (DOE) for the project, which Mueller says is progressing through the due diligence phase. “We anticipate progress on this in 2010,” he says. ......

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Energy cane and common sugarcane found in the southern US are from the same genus, saccharum. Energy cane is bred for high fiber content and its cousin is grown for high sugar content and low fiber.

As a result, test results have shown that energy cane can produce high biomass yields and may have a stand life of eight years of more. .......


Whereas Brazil uses sugarcane to produce ethanol, Vercipia intends to use the cane stalks and fibers as the plant’s raw materials. Backup purpose-grown feedstocks include energy grasses, miscanthus and bagasse, a sugar cane residue, according to Mueller.

Vercipia’s Highlands project will use lignocellulosic conversion technology being jointly developed by Verenium and BP. It enables conversion of nearly all the sugars found in cellulosic biomass into ethanol.

Vercipia expects efficiency advantages combined with the low output cost of cellulosic biomass will result in superior economics in the production of ethanol.


http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/biofuels/article205171.ece

[Dan M]

Washington, D.C. — The nation won't meet its biofuels goals unless the government accelerates the development of biofuel crops and products, the White House says.

In a report being released today, an administration task force said the government needs, among other things, to set targets for commercializing new types of fuel crops, such as switchgrass.

The government also needs to work regionally to develop fuels and feedstocks that make sense in each part of the nation, the report said.

In the Midwest, where corn ethanol production is concentrated, the government could focus on increasing sales of E85, a combination of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. In the Southeast, the focus could be on making ethanol from sugarcane.

The 14-page report makes some recommendations that could raise concerns in the industry, including a suggestion that federal agencies identify environmental and social issues that may confront biofuels development.

The report also says new biofuel refineries must have guaranteed markets. The industry says that requirement has made it virtually impossible for companies to obtain federal loan guarantees.

A 2007 law requires the nation to use 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022, but all but 15 billion gallons of that will have to be products other than conventional corn ethanol.

Many companies are working to produce ethanol from switchgrass, crop residue and other nonfood sources, but they have been stymied in part by the economic downturn and lack of credit.

President Barack Obama will be discussing biofuels policy today with a bipartisan group of governors and key Cabinet members, according to an administration official.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100203/BUSINESS01/2030370/-1/SPORTS12/White-House-report-Develop-more-crops-for-biofuels