ZeaChem Receives Financing for Pilot-Scale, Cellulosic-Based Ethanol Biorefinery

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Privately held biorefinery developer ZeaChem Incorporated (Lakewood, Colorado) has secured financing for the construction of the company's pilot-scale, cellulosic-based ethanol biorefinery under construction in Boardman, Oregon. The pilot-scale plant will produce 250,000 gallons per year of fuel ethanol from mainly poplar trees, but will run trials with a variety of biomass that include herbaceous crops, agricultural residuals, and other renewable biomass resources.

For more information, see June 7, 2010, article - ZeaChem Holds Groundbreaking for Pilot-Scale, Cellulosic-Based Ethanol Biorefinery.

The plant is expected to be fully operational by early- to mid-2011. Cost estimates to build the plant are in the $34 million range. ZeaChem also was a recipient of $25 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Energy to get the project going.

Foundations have been poured, and the core unit of the pilot plant is being fabricated. ZeaChem selected Burns & McDonnell (Kansas City, Missouri) as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor.

When the pilot-scale facility is producing fuel, development of a commercial-scale, 50 million-gallon-per-year plant is expected to follow during the 2012 calendar year. Plans involve the construction of a commercial-scale plant that will process hard and soft wood, switchgrass and corn-stover feedstocks into fuel ethanol. The plant will be in Boardman, Oregon, alongside the pilot plant operation.

Industrial Info's Databases provide a comprehensive outline of all current development activities in the emerging alternative fuels market. Industrial Info's North American Ethanol Database covers 203 plants in operation and 358 plants under various development phases. Industrial Info's North American Biodiesel Database covers 153 operational plants and 72 plants under development. Industrial Info's North American Wood Fuel Pellet Database includes 59 operational plants producing greater than 25,000 tons annually, and 37 projects under way.

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View Project Report - 22001356

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