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Monday, October 08, 2007

Wood-based Ethanol Plant Slated for Georgia

Wood-based Ethanol Plant Slated for Georgia: "8. February 2007 Wood-based Ethanol Plant Slated for Georgia Company funded by Khosla Ventures eliminates the use of enzymes in cellulosic ethanol production.

Broomfield, Colorado & Palo Alto, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Wood waste from millions of acres of indigenous Georgia Pine will be the main source of biomass for a new cellulosic ethanol production facility in Treutlen County, Georgia.

The plant, being built by Colorado-based Range Fuels, Inc., will use a two-step thermo-chemical conversion process to convert biomass into a synthetic gas and then gas to ethanol. 'The production of cellulosic ethanol represents not only a step toward true energy diversity for the country, but a very cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels.

It is advanced weaponry in the war on oil.' -- Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures, managing partner Founded by Menlo Park, California-based Khosla Ventures, Range Fuels' (formerly Kergy, Inc.) business model is to design, build, own and operate its plants.

The company estimates that the new plant -- combined with others to follow -- will have the capacity to produce over 1 billion gallons of ethanol per year. 'The state of Georgia has provided us with an excellent opportunity to use its abundant renewable natural resources to help solve fuel issues for the country,' said Mitch Mandich."

The Finnish companies StoraEnso and NesteOil and the competitor UPM Kymmene and Andritz ar planning full scale biodiesel plants. Pilot units are on the planning board. StoraEnso's pilot will be located in Varkaus, Finland.

Khosla Ventures has funded the company's proprietary technology -- known as the K2 system -- eliminates the use of enzymes, which have been an expensive component of traditional cellulosic ethanol production, and transforms otherwise useless products such as wood chips, agricultural wastes, grasses, and cornstalks as well as hog manure, municipal garbage, sawdust and paper pulp into ethanol through a thermo-chemical conversion process.


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