US Department of Energy to make $200 million in new cellulosic ethanol grants; “on track” to meet US ethanol mandate

In Washington, the principal deputy assistant secretary at the US Energy Department’s Office of Policy and International Affairs, told the Reuters Global Agriculture and Biofuels Summit that the US is on track to make 22 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol by 2022. The output is mandated under the Energy Independence and Security Act signed last month by President Bush. The Department of Energy will shortly award as much $200 million to fund pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol projects projects, adding to more than $1.1 billion in grants made in 2007.

The grant will be the first large-scale grant made since the DOE disgorged more than $500 million in support of multiple cellulosic ethanol demonstration projects that are generally in the construction and testing phases now.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

US Department of Energy announces $200 million in grants for commercial-scale advanced biofuels

In Washington, the Department of Energy announced a $200 million round of grants for advanced biofuel plants. Department spokesmen said that the grants would be awarded to between 5 and 12 projects ov...

US Department of Energy awards $7.7 million for cellulosic ethanol research

The US Department of Energy announced four grants totaling $7.7 million dollars for support of cellulosic ethanol projects. The winning teams developed projects that showed new methods to eliminate co...

Sugar growers: Philippines can’t make enough ethanol to meet mandate

Sugar industry officials say that The Philippines are too far behind on ethanol plant construction to meet the 2009 5% ethanol mandate with domestic production. The mandate requires 268 million liters...

Maryland researchers find enzyme that converts cellulose to sugar in one step; potential cost breakthrough for cellulosic ethanol

In Maryland, researchers have launched a new company, Zymentis, to commercialize a new enzyme they say will convert plant cellulose into sugars in one step. The researchers, from the University of Ma...

4 of 6 cellulosic ethanol demonstration projects still on track; completion expected in 2009-2011 in NE, IA, CA and GA

BioCycle has published a valuable update on the status of the six cellulosic ethanol demonstration-scale projects that received Department of Energy grants of between $40 and $76 million last year. Si...

Abengoa says on track towards 2011 commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production

In Kansas, Spanish biofuels company Abengoa expects to commence full-scale cellulosic ethanol production in 2011. The company is currently constructing its production facility in Hugoton, Kansas, and ...