Idaho Ethanol Processing to invest up to $6 million to develop power from potato methane

In Idaho, Idaho Ethanol Processing said that it will spend up to $6 million in the next year to improve the energy use at the plant, which uses potato waste, unusable wines and juices, molasses, and beet syrup as feedstocks. The project will develop a process to generate power from methane created in potato processing.

Idaho background

The 60 Mgy Pacific Ethanol plant in Burley is facing daily fines from the local town council for zoning violations stemming from odors characterized in an AP story as “eye-watering”. The company is working to investigate and remediate. The $120 million project opened in April. Pacific Ethanol recently commenced production at the plant, which will use 21 million bushels of corn, and the entire ethanol demand for Idaho from the plant, as well as up to 500,000 tons of distillers grains for livestock feed.

In Canada, Iogen said that would suspend development in the state of Idaho and build its 23 Mgy cellulosic ethanol plant in Saskatchewan, after the Canadian officials put together a $500 million incentive package for ethanol projects, although it was not disclosed how much would be steered to Iogen. The US Department of Energy had offered $80 million in loan guarantees for the $350 million project. Iogen is backed by Shell, Petro Canada and Goldman Sachs.

Iogen execs said that they hoped to launch the 23 Mgy plant north of Saskatoon by 2011, using wheat straw and other cellulose as feedstock.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Idaho Energy Future published by state: wood, biodiesel, cellulsoic ethanol, waste-to-energy, biogas, and ethanol in focus

The state of Idaho released a detailed assessment titled "Idaho Energy Future", and identified numerous bio-energy opportunities for economic development. The report concluded that "Wood is a key o...

BioFuelBox announces development of full-scale commercial plant using waste FOG as biofuel feedstock

In California, BioFuelBox announced that it has completed installation of a 1 Mgy biodiesel plant at a potato processing plant in American Falls, Idaho. The BioFuelBox NovoStream technology establishe...

Idaho cellulosic ethanol plant proposal moves to next round

In Idaho, Biorefinery Partners had advanced to a second round with the Department of Energy loan guarantee program for cellulosic ethanol production. The Shelley, Idaho plant would produce 18 Mgy of e...

California company converts onion waste to power; payback on $9.5 million investment in six years

In California, Gills Onions, the largest onion processing company in  the US has debuted a microbial digestion technology that converts onion waste to methane, which will be used in a biomass-to-powe...

Environmental Power to construct biogas facility at JBS Swift beef processing plant; saves $1.7 million in natural gas costs; Swift, EPG to pursue projects at six other facilities

Environmental Power (EPG), announced that it will construct a biogas facility at the JBS Swift meat processing facility in Grand Island, NE. The project will produce 235 MM BTUs of biogas, or the equi...

Idaho ethanol plant to reopen; shut since 2004; production to increase to 15 Mgy

In Idaho, the Idaho Ethanol Processing plant reopened in Caldwell. The plant, which closed in 2004, makes 1.5 Mgy of ethanol, and will be expanded by new owners Westway Holdings to produce 15 Mgy. ...