LAKEWOOD, Colo. – ZeaChem Inc. broke ground Wednesday for a $73 million demonstration plant in Boardman, Ore., that would turn fast-growing hybrid poplars into cellulosic ethanol.
The biorefinery could produce up to 250,000 gallons per year of ethanol. It also could produce acetic acid and ethyl acetate, a solvent used in paint, lacquers, thinners and nail polish but that also can be used to decaffeinate coffee. Ethanol production is expected to start next year.
Eventually, Lakewood-based ZeaChem hopes to build a commercial-scale plant in the Pacific Northwest, CEO Jim Imbler said.
ZeaChem, based on figures from Oregon employment officials, estimates that building and operating the starter plant will directly create 95 jobs and add an additional 197 indirectly.
The U.S. Department of Energy has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to projects aimed at making fuel out of products other than corn. ZeaChem is receiving $25 million in stimulus money from the department for its biorefinery.
The demonstration plant could make ethanol from a variety of nonfood feedstock including switchgrass, though ZeaChem plans to focus on fast-growing hybrid poplars.
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.