U.S. to Invest in Small-Scale Cellulosic Biorefineries

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48364

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week it will provide up to $200 million over the next five years to support the development of small-scale cellulosic biorefineries in the United States. The projects are expected to be operational within three to four years and speed the adoption of new technologies to produce ethanol and other biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks.

The funds build on an announcement made by the DOE in March, which makes available up to $385 million over four years for the development of six full-scale biorefineries. The full-scale biorefineries will focus on near-term commercial processes, while the small-scale facilities will experiment with new feedstocks and processing technologies.

Combined, these small- and full-scale projects will receive up to $585 million in federal investment.

"This research will provide the next necessary step toward developing cellulosic biorefineries that can transform our transportation sector in a clean and cost-effective manner," U.S. DOE Secretary Samuel W. Bodman said. "As world demand for energy continues to grow, so too must our supply of clean, domestic sources of energy -- and cellulosic biofuels provide a promising way to meet President Bush's goal of displacing twenty percent of gasoline usage within the decade."

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