Doe Run Company Tests Energy Crops in Former Tailings Ponds

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Doe Run Company (Saint Louis, Missouri), which is a privately held natural resources company and leading lead miner and smelter, is currently testing the growth of energy crops in former mine tailings ponds. The purpose is to restore the use of otherwise dormant acreage.

Doe Run, along with Missouri University of Science and Technology and MFA Oil Company (Columbus, Missouri), planted 11 acres of the energy crop miscanthus grass in a plot at a former tailings pond at the company's Iron County Mine 28 site in Viburnum, Missouri.

The grass has been growing since April of this year. If successful, Doe Run has aggressive plans to plant additional acres next year at other now-closed tailing pond sites.

The miscanthus grass will be harvested as feedstock for second-generation biofuel production. MFA Oil has created MFA Oil Biomass LLC, and is looking to expand into the biomass biofuels market. The company has targeted the fast-growing, drought- and pest-resistant, non-food energy crop as the best feedstock to produce renewable fuels.

The company is already growing some 12,000 acres of miscanthus grass in Missouri and Arkansas, and is working with Aloterra Energy LLC (The Woodlands, Texas) to grow the feedstock for a planned multi-million biofuels plant in Conneaut, Ohio.

Aloterra plans to process the grass into 75,000 tons per year of fuel pellets to be sold to biomass power plants. Once the project receives final funding and approval, construction is expected to start in late 2012 or early 2013.

The program has the potential to bring new life to former mine sites, provide economic and environmental benefits, and help all three companies get into the renewable energy sector.

Doe Run currently has mining operations and lead smelters in Boss, Herculaneum and Bunker, Missouri. The company also has a sheet-lead metal manufacturing plant in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Industrial Info's databases provide a comprehensive outline of all current development activities in the emerging alternative fuels market. Our North American Biodiesel Database covers 141 operational plants and 97 plants in development. Our North American Ethanol Database covers 216 plants in operation and 118 plants in various development phases. Our North American Wood Fuel Pellet Database includes 68 operational plants producing more than 25,000 tons annually, and 40 projects in progress.

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View Project Report - 300037393

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