ZeaChem secures $25m grant for cellulosic biofuel pilot

May 14, 2010

Biofuel technology developer ZeaChem, Inc., has secured a $25 million federal grant to support its work to develop a pilot facility to produce advanced biofuels.

The company said yesterday it has signed a Cooperative Agreement with the US Department of Energy to source the funds from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Biomass Program.

ZeaChem, which has its HQ in Lakewood, Colorado, is developing a pilot cellulosic biofuels plant in Boardman, Oregon.

The facility will produce ethyl acetate, a chemical precursor to ethanol. Zeachem plans to begin producing cellulosic ethanol in 2011 at its new 250,000 gallon per year biorefinery in Boardman.

Commenting on the funding award, Zeachem president and CEO im Imbler said: “This funding accelerates our progress toward commercialization and represents how government programs aimed at developing emerging technologies can provide the catalyst for long-term economic growth and energy independence.”

Zeachem had its production process validated last month by Swiss company Sulzer Chemtech (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).

Cellulosic

Cellulosic ethanol differs from regular ethanol because it is made from either by-products from food crops or non-food energy crops.

The fuels are believed to have a better environmental impact than conventional biofuels made from food crops like corn or sugarcane, as they don’t interfere in global food prices and supposedly save more greenhouse gas emissions.

ZeaChem, which has a laboratory in Menlo, California, is developing a process that involves chemically breaking down solid renewable biomass into a sugar solution and residue. The sugar solution is fermented and turned into ethyl acetate, while the biomass residues go through a gasification process, turning them into hydrogen that can then be used to hydrogenate the ethyl acetate to produce ethanol.

The company says its approach “leap frogs” the yield and carbon dioxide problems associated with other forms of ethanol production.

The firm also claims its process will be cheaper than rival technologies.