Ecologia, Medio Ambiente y Energias Renovables en la Naturaleza

At its early stages, the Soperton plant will use the company’s two-stage thermo-chemical process, which uses a combination of heat, pressure and steam to convert nonfood biomass, such as wood shavings and grass into a synthesis gas composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

The gas is run through the company’s own catalyst to make it produce mixed alcohols which are then processed to produce different kinds of low-carbon biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol and cellulosic methanol.

Cellulosic methanol can be mixed with conventional diesel to create biodiesel. It can also be used as replacement for diesel in heating applications or components of power fuel cells.

At the same time, Range Fuels estimates production of cellulosic ethanol from the Soperton plant to begin in the third quarter, hoping its product would meet the American Society for Testing and Materials standard for fuel-grade ethanol.

The production plant will initially use woody biomass from local timber operations. But the company said it plans to experiment with other kinds of renewable biomass feedstock such as miscanthus and switchgrass.

Range Fuels secured permission to produce 100 million gallons of ethanol and methanol each year in the plant. At present, it is capable of producing less than 10 million gallons of ethanol and methanol annually.

The company plans to increase the facility’s yearly production capacity to about 60 million gallons by next year.

David Aldous, Range Fuels’ chief executive, said the new plant is a huge step in overcoming the technological and financing challenges facing the commercialization of cellulosic biofuels.

Early this year, the company closed an $80 billion issuance from the Department of Energy’s Office of Rural Development and AgSouth Farm Credit.

EcoSeed