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January 13, 2006
Ethanol producer looks to cellulose-based feedstock
An excerpt from an article originally appearing in Environmental Finance magazine and reposted on the Web site of World Business Council for Sustainable Development:
Iogen is a Canadian firm specialising in 'second generation' ethanol production from cellulose-based materials such as straw. It currently has a prototype facility capable of producing 3 to 4 million litres of ethanol per year, and is looking to build a 170 million litre commercial plant in the US. Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell took a stake in the company in 2002, and this latest partnership is another step towards Shell's aim of becoming the leading provider of "the next generation of fuel solutions", according its executive director for oil products and chemicals, Rob Routs.
. . . the traditional, grain-based ethanol that forms the bulk of production in the US and Europe requires extensive fossil fuel inputs, meaning that its use can sometimes result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of only 20% compared to conventional fuels, according to figures from the International Energy Agency.
Iogen, meanwhile, claims that its cellulose-derived ethanol can create GHG reductions of 90%.
Posted by Ed Blume at January 13, 2006 12:58 PM