Alternative Fuels Industry Looks to Second Generation Biofuels, a "Navigating the Currents of Change" Webcast on Industrialinfo.com

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Not a single ethanol or biodiesel plant has received funding to start construction in 2009 due to a stingy credit market and lenders that keep funds closed up in their vaults. Considering that more than 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol production capacity and 590 million gallons of biodiesel capacity are sitting idle in the U.S., who would want to build in this time of tight margins and market uncertainty?

The government seems to like the idea of using non-food feedstocks to increase our use of alternative fuels, as Uncle Sam recently announced grants of $358 million that will go directly to companies developing second-generation fuels. Six companies will divvy up the cash to further develop their process technologies.

President Bush signed The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 in late 2007. The bill calls for U.S. production levels of 100 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels by 2010 and 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels by 2022. Algae-based biodiesel plants are included in the not-from-food category.

According to data extracted from Industrial Info's North American Industrial Database, 33 cellulosic fuel ethanol plants are in various stages of development in the U.S., representing a total of more than $3.3 billion in capital spending. Cellulosic facilities cost more to construct per gallon than corn-based facilities.

The race is on to build a profitable commercial-scale biofuels plant. May the best technology and enzyme win.

Join Jay Brunson, Vice President for Industrial Info's Alternative Fuels Group, for an in-depth discussion on the controversial biofuels industry.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news.