LiquidMaze expects to receive air permit; water permit next for long-delayed Colorado ethanol project

January 31, 2008

LiquidMaize is expecting to receive its air permit for the $24 million corn ethanol project slated to be built eight miles north of Pueblo. LiquidMaize has not yet applied for its water permit for the project, which received its building permits in November 2006.

The LiquidMaize project is just one of a series of projects underway as Colorado assumes a regional leadership role in biofuels development. Late last year, The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels awarded grants of $50,000 to 10 renewable-energy projects, including five to research teams from CU-Boulder, two each to teams from CSU and and the Colorado School of Mines, and one from NREL. The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels is a joint venture of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado State University, the Colorado School of Mines and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and 27 energy-industry companies.

In Washington earlier this week, the US Energy Department awarded a $30 million grant to Lignol Innovations, for a cellulosic ethanol plant in Commerce City, Colorado. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at Golden has also been highly active in biofuels research.