Liquid Maize halts ethanol plant construction, cites financing

In Colorado, LiquidMaize has halted construction on its ethanol plant at Lamar, citing financing difficulties. The company said that project managers ICM would remove equipment to prevent deterioration, but that LiquidMaize hoped to recommence construction as soon as financing is available.

Earlier,LiquidMaize had commenced groundbreaking this month for its $24 million, 15 Mgy corn ethanol plant in Lamar. The plant recently received its air permit, a final step prior to commencing construction.

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.

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