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Range Fuels building the Nation's First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
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| 7/5/2007
| Shane Addie
Posted on 07/28/2007 7:45:52 PM PDT by P-40
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http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/08/range-fuels-ex-kergy-will-open-wood-waste-using-cellulosic-eth/
Range Fuels (ex-Kergy) will open wood-waste-using cellulosic ethanol plant in Georgia
Posted Feb 8th 2007 2:08PM by Sebastian Blanco Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, Manufacturing/Plants
Range Fuels, Inc., known until just the other day as Kergy, Inc., will build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Georgia to turn wood waste into the biofuel. Range Fuels says its proprietary cellulosic ethanol technology can turn wood chips, agricultural wastes, grasses, cornstalks, hog manure, municipal garbage, sawdust or paper pulp (whew) into ethanol. Without using enzymes, the K2 system first turns the biomass into a synthetic gas and then into ethanol.
This new plant will be funded by Vinod Khosla's Khosla Ventures (Range Fuels itself is privately owned by Khosla Ventures) and can potentially create one million gallons of ethanol a year, along with and 70 new jobs. Khosla recently said at a Reuters Global Biofuels Summit that he thinks cellulosic fuel prices could sink to $1 per gallon within 10 years, and that would make them very attractive at the pump.
This cellulosic ethanol plant is a big step forward, since most ethanol plants in America use corn or soy as the biomass feedstock. Turning a waste product into fuel seems like a no-brainer. I'm not entirely sure if this waste is lumber industry by-product or things like fallen branches. The former seems much more likely, but the company's announcement reads, "Wood waste from the state's millions of acres of indigenous Georgia Pine will be the main source of biomass for the ethanol production." So, what does that mean exactly?
1
posted on
07/28/2007 7:45:53 PM PDT
by
P-40
To: P-40
I believe with the cellulosic ethanol production we’ll be able to use all kinds of waste products like grass clippings, corn stalks etc.
2
posted on
07/28/2007 7:52:04 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(Greed is NOT a conservative ideal.)
To: P-40
"Wood waste from the state's millions of acres of indigenous Georgia Pine will be the main source of biomass for the ethanol production." About the only way this could make economic sense (if that is possible) is that their feed stock consist of materials they are paid to take.
3
posted on
07/28/2007 7:53:39 PM PDT
by
Pontiac
(Patriotism is the natural consequence of having a free mind in a free society.)
To: cripplecreek
That would be nice. The city here already has a lawn waste pick up day. Might as well do something with the stuff besides feed it to the landfill.
4
posted on
07/28/2007 7:55:30 PM PDT
by
P-40
(Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
To: Pontiac
If their feedstock is to be garbage, that may very well be the case.
5
posted on
07/28/2007 7:57:01 PM PDT
by
P-40
(Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
To: P-40
The K2 process eliminates expensive enzymes by using a two-step thermo-chemical conversion, first converting the biomass into a synthesis gas, and then processing the gas into ethanol. This sound very much like the process of Coal gasification and then making ethanol from that gas which was pioneered during WW II.
The problem with using cellulose is that it is not conceivable to me that the BTUs in could be greater than the BTUs out.
6
posted on
07/28/2007 7:58:51 PM PDT
by
Pontiac
(Patriotism is the natural consequence of having a free mind in a free society.)
To: P-40
The K2 process eliminates expensive enzymes by using a two-step thermo-chemical conversion, first converting the biomass into a synthesis gas, and then processing the gas into ethanol. Making syngas is great, but why convert that into a crappy fuel like ethanol?
7
posted on
07/28/2007 8:02:04 PM PDT
by
Moonman62
(The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
To: Moonman62
Ethanol isn’t really a crappy fuel; although somewhat less dense and more caustic than gasoline, it burns fine in properly designed engines. It might be easier chemically (and politically) to convert the unnamed intermediate “synthetic gas” to ethanol than to another fuel. It also might make for some interesting but crowd-pleasing flavors of mixed drinks at the local bar.
8
posted on
07/28/2007 8:08:34 PM PDT
by
dufekin
(Name the leader of our enemy: Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, terrorist dictator)
To: Pontiac
You can bet tax money factors into their economic viability.
9
posted on
07/28/2007 8:11:33 PM PDT
by
dangerdoc
(dangerdoc (not actually dangerous any more))
To: dufekin
Don’t forget how ethanol absorbs moisture. It’s a crappy fuel. Syngas can be converted into real fuels like gasoline and diesel.
10
posted on
07/28/2007 8:12:41 PM PDT
by
Moonman62
(The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
To: P-40
Less than a dollar a gallon? Bring it on - less money for the muslims and russians.
11
posted on
07/28/2007 8:17:20 PM PDT
by
spanalot
To: P-40
Interesting...we’ll see how it goes.
12
posted on
07/28/2007 8:31:27 PM PDT
by
Rick_Michael
(The Anti-Federalists failed....so will the Anti-Frederalists)
To: spanalot
Ethanol for a buck = 100 proof Vodka for 10 cents a fifth .... sure.
Rush to get in on this one folks.
To: P-40
Just read this elsewhere. I think I’ll take a look at their site, and see how reasonable they sound.
“Groundbreaking for the 100-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant will take place this summer, with phase one of the plant scheduled to complete construction in 2008, bringing a production capacity of 20 million gallons a year online”
http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=14637
14
posted on
07/28/2007 8:51:39 PM PDT
by
Rick_Michael
(The Anti-Federalists failed....so will the Anti-Frederalists)
To: John Jamieson
Drink enough of the latter and you won’t go anywhere...ha.
15
posted on
07/28/2007 8:54:17 PM PDT
by
Rick_Michael
(The Anti-Federalists failed....so will the Anti-Frederalists)
To: Rick_Michael
Looks like an Indian got the deal while cynics and Luddites scoff.
16
posted on
07/28/2007 8:59:10 PM PDT
by
ClaireSolt
(Have you have gotten mixed up in a mish-masher?)
To: P-40; All
Well, either they’re screwing us (and our government) or they’re reputable....and getting a kick-off to something good.
Time we’ll tell.
http://www.rangefuels.com/news_highlights
“Range Fuels announced February 28, 2007 that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the company up to $76 million to build the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in the U.S. at a site near Soperton, Georgia. The DOE awarded Range Fuels the grant after a rigorous competitive process that included a detailed technology review, an assessment of the availability of nearby renewable and sustainable non-food biomass feedstock supplies, and an evaluation of the company’s ability to successfully commercialize and replicate the project at other locations.”
17
posted on
07/28/2007 8:59:27 PM PDT
by
Rick_Michael
(The Anti-Federalists failed....so will the Anti-Frederalists)
To: P-40
Great, another process that uses more energy that it makes, and provides a less efficient fuel than gas. We just need to get rid if the commie environmentalists, and we have all the fuel we need.
To: ClaireSolt
If it’s using wastes for feedstocks, fine, but croplands should not be used for fuel production. Ethanol is not a good fuel, either.
To: P-40
20
posted on
07/28/2007 9:05:12 PM PDT
by
dusttoyou
(FredHead from the git go)
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