BUCKEYE GOES ALTERNATIVE

Buckeye invests $4.5M in alternative energy
May 8, 2007 (Memphis Business Journal via Yahoo Finance)

WHO
Board of Directors, Buckeye Technologies Inc.

WHAT
Buckeye, manufacturer and marketer of specialty fibers and nonwoven materials, will fund a $4.5 million plant to produce energy from wood cellulose. Five subsequent projects will follow, at a total cost of $43 million.

WHEN
The first experimental project was announced May 7.

WHERE
The experimental project will be in Perry, Florida. Buckeye is based in Memphis, Tennessee, and operates facilities in the US, Germany, Canada and Brazil.

WHY
The renewable energy produced from wood cellulose will supply 92% of the plant’s required energy. Beginning with a condensing turbine installation, the project will subsequently require two recovery boiler upgrades and installation/upgrades of related systems.
Cellulosic ethanol is considered a more practical experimental biofuel than corn or sugar ethanol. This plant will enough energy to replace 200,000 barrels of oil annually.

QUOTES
Wikipedia: “Ethanol, today, is produced mostly from sugars or starches, obtained from fruits and grains. In contrast, cellulosic ethanol is obtained from cellulose, the main component of wood, straw and much of the plants. Since cellulose cannot be digested by humans, the production of cellulose does not compete with the production of food. The price per ton of the raw material is thus much cheaper than grains or fruits. Moreover, since cellulose is the main components of plants, the whole plant can be harvested. This results in much better yields per acre—up to 10 tons, instead of 4 or 5 tons for the best crops of grain.”