The US Department of Energy (DOE) selected today 19 biorefinery projects that will receive up to $564m funding under the agency's Biorefinery Assistance Program, which promotes development of new and emerging technologies for advanced biofuels, biopower and bioproducts using biomass... The US Department of Energy (DOE) selected today 19 biorefinery projects that will receive up to $564m funding under the agency's Biorefinery Assistance Program, which promotes development of new and emerging technologies for advanced biofuels, biopower and bioproducts using biomass resources. Up to $483m will go to 14 pilot scale projects and 4 demonstration-scale biorefinery projects while the remaining $81m will go to Bluefire LLC to accelerate the company's construction of a cellulosic ethanol fuel facility in Fulton, Mississippi. The Bluefire project, which also got previous funding from the DOE, is expected to produce 19m gallons/year of fuel-grade ethanol using using wood wastes, mill residue and sorted municipal waste. The DOE said all the biorefinery projects will be matched with more than $700m in private and non-government cost-share funds amounting to a total investments of almost $1.3bn. Ineos, which was awarded $50m for its commercial-scale bioenergy facility project in Indian River County, Florida, said that it expects to begin their facility's construction in the second quarter next year and to start operations by late 2011. The facility will produce 8m gallons/year of ethanol and 2 megawatts of electricity/year using wood and vegetative residues and construction and demolition materials. The project is a joint venture of Ineos and New Planet Energy. Zeachem, meanwhile, sent me their press release (which alerted me to this news in the first place) stating that their $25m grant from the DOE will be used to support construction of the company's first cellulosic biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon, which will have capacity of 250,000 gallons/year producing biobased chemical ethyl acetate and cellulosic ethanol. Construction of the biorefinery is already underway and will be online by the end of 2010. ZeaChem said it intends to scale to a commercial biorefinery upon successful operation of the demo facility. The company will use for feedstock purpose-grown hybrid poplar trees and potentially agricultural residues and energy crops. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) said the almost $600m funding represents the largest single federal investment in advanced biorefineries to date. "This unprecedented investment by DOE and USDA shows how important advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals are to the economic and energy security of the country," said Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of BIO. "These are precisely the kind of projects the Recovery Act should be funding - creating jobs while helping the country move to a more sustainable industrial future."BIO also cited a recent report by Bio Economic Research Associates (bio-era™) that advanced biorefineries could create 29,000 new jobs and $5.5 billion in economic growth over the next three years, - and over 800,000 new jobs by 2022. Here is the list of the companies who bagged the DOE funding: Pilot and Demonstration Scale FOA - Pilot Scale Algenol Biofuels - $25m for its algae-based 100,000 gal/year ethanol project in Freeport, Texas. American Process - $17.9m for its project in Alpena, MI, which will produce 890,000 gal/year ethanol fuel and 690,000 gal/year potassium acetate using processed wood starting in 2011.Amyris Biotechnologies - $25m for its green diesel project in Emeryville, CA. The pilot plant will also have the capacity to co‐produce lubricants, polymers, and other petro‐chemical substitutes. Archer Daniels Midland - $24.8m for its Decatur, IL, ethanol and ethyl acrylate project.Clearfuels Technology - $23m for its Commerce City, CO, project that will produce renewable diesel and jet fuel from woody biomass. Elevance Renewable Sciences - $2.5m for its Newton, IA, project for a future facility producing jet fuel, renewable diesel substitutes, and high‐value chemicals from plant oils and poultry fat. Gas Technology Institute - $2.5m for its Des Plaines, IL, project that will produce green gasoline and diesel from woody biomass, agricultural residues, and algae.HALDOR TOPSOE - $25m for its wood-based green gasoline project in Des Plaines, IL, .ICM - $25m for its St. Joseph, MO, project that will modify an existing corn‐ethanol facility to produce cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass and energy sorghum.Logos Technologies - $20.4m for its cellulosic ethanol project in Visalia, CA.Renewable Energy Institute International - $20m for its 25 dry tons/day of green diesel project in Toledo, OH, that will use agriculture and forest residues via advanced pyrolysis and steam reforming.Solazyme - $21.8m for its algae oil-based biofuel project in Riverside, PA. UOP LLC - $25m for its green gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel project that uses agricultural residue, woody crops and algae in Kapolei, Hawaii.ZeaChem - $25m for its cellulosic ethanol and biochemical project in Boardman, OR. Pilot and Demonstration Scale FOA - Demonstration Scale BioEnergy International - $50m for its sorghum-based biosuccinic acid project in Lake Providence, LA. Enerkem - $50m for its Pontotoc, MS, bio-ethanol and green chemicals project that will use woody biomass and municipal solid waste as feedstock.INEOS New Planet BioEnergy - $50m for its 8m gal/year bioethanol and 2 MW bioenergy project in Florida.Sapphire Energy - $50m for its algae-based green fuels project in Columbus, NM.Bluefire - $81m for its 19m gal/year Fulton, MS, bioethanol project using woody bionass and municipal solid waste. [Photo of one of Zeachem's fermenters. Source: Zeachem] addthis_pub = 'greenchicgeek';

German chemical company BASF has joined the Thai Bioplastics Industry Association (TBAI), Thailand's National Innovation Agency (NIA) and Germany's Technical Cooperation group GTZ in launching a biodegradable bag project in Thailand, which aims to build composting facilities in the country... German chemical company BASF has joined the Thai Bioplastics Industry Association (TBAI), Thailand's National Innovation Agency (NIA) and Germany's Technical Cooperation group GTZ in launching a biodegradable bag project in Thailand, which aims to build composting facilities in the country for efficient waste management as well as support the development of the country's bioplastic industry. The pilot project is a first for Thailand and will demonstrate the use of bioplastic bags to efficiently collect household organic waste as well as produce fertilizer or other organic matter from that waste. BASF said the potential production capacity of high quality organic fertilizer from the composted waste is 6 million tons/year, which could be exported. The plastic bags going to be used could be made of cassava starch and calcium carbonate compounded with BASF's biodegradable compostable polyester Ecoflex, which the company said is tear-resistant, puncture-resistant, waterproof, printable and elastic. BASF said their Ecoflex is already commonly used in Thailand for organic waste bags, carrier bags and shopping bags. As part of the launch, which was held at the pilot plant site in the Kradangar District of Samut Songkhram Province, a community outreach group consisting of community leaders and students promoted the use of biodegradable plastic bags to 730 households. NIA said recommendations for the bioplastics environmental policy, which is expected to be completed within the next six months, will outline the infrastructure, framework, instruments and guidelines to promote the use and production of bioplastics in Thailand. [Photo of the project site where organic wastes in biodegradable bags are placed into a biodigester. Source: BASF] addthis_pub = 'greenchicgeek';

Speaking of Brazil (and in connection to my last post about Amyris), I think I mentioned before that there seems to be more investments and activities going on in that part of the world when it comes to biofuel and... Speaking of Brazil (and in connection to my last post about Amyris), I think I mentioned before that there seems to be more investments and activities going on in that part of the world when it comes to biofuel and renewable-based chemicals. The blog reported on May 15 about bioplastic development in Brazil. Since then more announcements were noted such as the renewable feedstock of Coca-Cola's PlantBottle being made in Brazil; Brazilian margarine tubs using Cereplast's bioplastic; and Cargill selling its Ingeo bioplastics in Brazil. Last month, ICIS news* reported that Brazilian sugarcane and ethanol producer Pedra Agroindustrial plans to start commercial bioplastics production by late 2012 with a new sugarcane-based bioplastics facility with a capacity of between 35,000-40,000 tonnes/year. The compostable poly-3-hydroxybuyrate (PHB) plastic is said to be suitable for niche applications such as throw-away products like plastic utensils, as well as cosmetics packaging and potentially medical products ICIS news* also reported that Brazil's Braskem signed a deal last month to sell 5,000 tonnes/year of sugarcane ethanol-based polyethylene (PE) to Swedish food packaging company Tetra Pak. Braskem said it would supply Tetra Pak with sugarcane ethanol-based high density PE (HDPE) starting in 2011. Specialty chemicals company Rhodia was also reported (by ICIS news*) as becoming interested in developing more chemical products in Brazil based on ethanol as a renewable raw material. Rhodia was said to be in discussion with players in the field of sugar cane/ethanol although no specific concrete project was yet announced. Also more news here about biofuel development in Brazil: Jatropha Takes Root in Brazil - NYTimes.comBrazil's Biofuel Producers Hail Government's Proposal for 20% Biodiesel Blend by 2015Brazil's Unica lauds environmental benefits of bioethanol buses- ICIS News*Sugar Cane Waste as Pellet Fuel - NYTimes.comBrazil airline to test sugarcane kerosene - ICIS News**ICIS News is subscription only. addthis_pub = 'greenchicgeek';