US's first large-scale, wood-to-ethanol plantFriday 30 Mar 2012 Construction of the US's first large-scale, wood-to-ethanol plant is set to begin this year in Upper Peninsula, Michigan. The US$232-million bio-refinery is to be built on 40 acres in Kinross Charter Township, with completion expected in late 2013.A company called Mascoma developed the wood-to-ethanol process which combines wood chips with microorganisms, but the project initially struggled financially. However, with an US$80 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the backing of Valero Energy, the project is back on track. An investment of US$132 million by Valero, the US's largest independent oil refiner and a leading ethanol producer, confirms it as majority owner. The company will then receive all facility-produced ethanol, planning to sell the majority and blend the rest into its own petrol. In addition to environmental concerns, there is also scepticism about how much ethanol the plant would actually be able to produce. David Pimentel, a professor of ecology and agricultural sciences at Cornell University suggests the project is destined to fail, as too much wood is required to produce a gallon of ethanol.  |
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