New York Times profiles BP’s growing involvement in biofuels; looks at Verenium projects

In Louisiana, the New York Times ran a lengthy profile of the BP/Verenium pilot cellulosic ethanol plant in Jennings.

The Times notes that “For decades, the big oil companies and the farm lobby have been fighting about ethanol, with the farmers pushing to produce more of it and the refiners arguing it was a boondoggle that would do little to solve the country’s energy problems.” The cane grass cellulosic ethanol plant is part of an overall $1.5 billion investment by BP in biofuels, on the heels of Shell’s commitment that it would focus it renewable energy activity on biofuels. ExxonMobil also recently disclosed that it would ramp up biofuels activity also.

According to the Times, BP is contributing technical assistance as well as capital to both the Jennings project and the $250 million, 36 Mgy demonstration-scale Verenium project in Florida. BP also has a partnership with DuPont in biobutanol and a partnership with D1 Oils in jatropha oil production.

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