Qteros Wastewater-to-Ethanol Pilot Plant to Begin Construction Early 2010

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Privately held second-generation ethanol developer Qteros (Marlborough, Massachusetts) has discovered what is being called the "Holy Grail" of cellulosic ethanol. Qteros has discovered a microbe that has a huge appetite for cellulosic material and the ability to transform cellulose directly into fuel ethanol. The company's "Q Microbe" technology could lead the way to having ethanol production facilities located at wastewater treatment facilities across the country.

Early next year, the company plans to begin construction of an estimated $25 million pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol production facility that will be located on leased space at 150 Padgette Street, adjacent to the Westover Air Reserve Base and Westover Metropolitan Airport in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

The initial $3.2 million demonstration plant is expected to be brought online in the 16,000-square-foot building by the first quarter of 2010, and the company will slowly ramp up production to a pilot scale facility that is expected to be fully operational by the fall of 2010.

With corn ethanol stalling, the country must focus on second-generation ethanol production to reach the goal of 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022. Estimates are corn ethanol's ceiling is at the 15 billion gallon-per-year level, and the remaining 16 billion-plus gallons must come from non-food or cellulosic feedstocks.

Wastewater treatment plants are a great fit, as the ethanol plants can provide municipalities with streams for waste sludge and can produce fuel to run equipment such as backhoes, service trucks and wastewater plant diesel engines.

Industrial Info's Ethanol Database provides a comprehensive outline of all current development activities in the emerging alternative fuels market. This database covers 177 ethanol plants in operation and 530 plants under development. It also covers 145 operational biodiesel plants and 245 biodiesel plants under development.

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