Amyris expects to produce 200 Mgy of synthetic low-emission via Brazil JV by 2011
In Brazil, synthetic biofuel producer Amyris said that it expects to produce 200 Mgy of synthetic, biomass-based diesel by 2011 from its joint ventures in Brazil. The company’s biorefineries, based on bioengineered yeasts that eat sugar and secrete fuel-grade hydrocarbons, will commence production in June 2010 and produce a fuel that performs to diesel specifications while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent and NOx emissions by 10 percent.
The company also said that it was commencing work with the state of Alabama to identify locations for sugarcane plantations and refineries. The company said that it can produce 600-800 gallons of fuel per acre of sugarcane, and said that it would seek partnerships with cellulosic ethanol producers in the future when cellulosic feedstocks were available. The company’s Crystalsev joint venture with Santelisa Vale aims to produce the 200 Mgy of fuel at existing ethanol plants at a cost of under $2 per gallon.
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