CELLULOSIC DEVELOPMENT

Calculations suggest that corn and other food crops require more energy to convert than they supply. Other drawbacks to such 1st generation ethanol feedstocks as corn and sugar include the burden put on the cost of food supplies by using them for fuel, the water requirements to grow them and the amount of land it would require to grow enough to significantly affect transportation needs.

U.S. Companies Push Wood-To-Ethanol
July 25, 2007 (UPI)

WHO
Verenium Corp. (Carlos Riva, president/ceo), University of Florida, Masacoma Corp., Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
the basic cycle (click to enlarge)

WHAT
Biofuels developer Verenium Corp. paid $66,000 for a patented cellulosic ethanol technology from the University of Florida. Also, Gov. Granholm and Masacoma Corp. announced plans to build a commercial-scale ethanol plant in Michigan.

WHEN
Announcements the week of July 23.

WHERE
- Announcement at a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' 2007 Farm-to-Fuel Summit in St. Petersburg. Verenium is based in Florida.
- The university’s method will get its 1st commercial-scale demonstration at Verenium’s Jennings, LA., plant.
- The Michigan plant will be in Lansing.

WHY
- Cellulosic ethanol, also called 2nd-generation ethanol, is thought to have some real potential as a biofuel that can be made with less energy than it produces – IF the scientific conundrum of how to process it can be overcome.
- The purchased method converts crops, tree, yard and agricultural waste to fuel.
- The Masacoma plant will convert wood to cellulosic ethanol.
- Any fibrous substance, from food crops to waste, can be converted into a liquid fuel.
nothing wrong with new jobs (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Riva: "This initial royalty payment represents a true milestone in our long and productive partnership with the University of Florida…It demonstrates the very real commercial potential for this technology and the fact that technology transfer is alive and well in Florida…Moreover, this is tangible proof that the commercial success of Verenium's technology will benefit the University and its stakeholders."
- Granholm: "Cellulosic is the next step in wide-scale ethanol production, and this puts Michigan on the leading edge of technology that will create good-paying jobs for Michigan citizens…"