Bringing Biomass to the Washington Auto Show

I was in DC yesterday at the Washington Auto Show. Enzyme developer Novozymes displayed a flex fuel vehicle that was fueled by cellulosic ethanol that POET produced in South Dakota. We also displayed a biomass bale that is the feedstock for our cellulosic ethanol production.

It was a great opportunity to talk to a lot of people about the status and the potential of cellulosic ethanol. Here's a picture of me hanging out at the booth:

If you want to see photos of the bales stored at the site of our planned commercial plant, just visit our Flickr site.

EcoTrek interview on Forbes.com

Kerry Dolan from Forbes Magazine interviewed EcoTrek executive director Tom Holm about his cross-country tip using cellulosic ethanol made by POET. You can read her blog post or watch the interview:

Tom also interviewed with Joanna Schroeder of Domestic Fuel while he was speaking at the California Ethanol Symposium. You can watch that interview here.

If you want to see the vehicle for yourself, it's in Phoenix today and Denver later in the week. It will be visiting the POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D., the place where the cellulosic ethanol was produced, next week.

The cellulosic ethanol tour begins!

I'm back from California where I witnessed the start of EcoTrek's Best of America tour that will travel 10,000 miles on cellulosic ethanol produced by POET. The tour was launched at the Santa Monica Pier, which is the start of historic Route 66.

EcoTrek Executive Director Tom Holm (pictured here on the right with me on the Santa Monica Pier) is a passionate advocate for the environment and renewable fuels. During a reception at Outlaw Offroad Motors, where the truck was customized, Holm had a lot of heads nodding when he extolled the environmental, economic and national security benefits of cellulosic ethanol.

The cellulosic ethanol powering the EcoTrek tour was produced at the POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. It was made from corn cobs, leaves and husks that are left on the ground after farmers harvest their grain.

You can follow the tour progress at the EcoTrek web site as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

Study: Energy crops could supply half the world’s fuel needs

Energy crops on marginal land could provide the feedstock for more than half of the world’s fuel needs, according to new research from the University of Illinois.

Researchers looked at the potential of abandoned or degraded land and “wasteland” across the world to grow crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol. Their conclusions show incredible potential for worldwide energy production:

“Planting second generation biofuel feedstocks on marginal croplands and LIHD [Low agricultural input, high diversified] prairie on marginal grassland may fulfill 26-55% of the current world liquid fuel consumption, without compromising the use of land with regular productivity for conventional crops and without affecting the current pasture land.”

Keep in mind that this doesn’t account for anything POET is doing with crop residue, which is removed from highly productive cropland as opposed to marginal land. In just the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency predicts corn crop residue will eventually account for almost 5 billion gallons of ethanol per year.

The biggest story here is that cellulosic ethanol is a real opportunity for other countries to supply their own energy needs, and in some cases even become energy exporters. The study shows that more than one-third of the land for energy crops is in Africa, a meaningful opportunity for farmers there who have left agriculture because of depressed commodity prices over the years.

Technorati Tags: Biomass,energy crops,research,cellulosic ethanol,biofuels

POET's Cellulosic Ethanol to Power Coast-to-Coast Road Trip

I'm in Santa Monica, Calif. today for the launch of EcoTrek's Best of America Tour. Executive Director Tom Holm is going to take an American-made truck on a coast-to-coast road trip to "spectacular locations and events in the U.S.A."

Why am I here? Because the truck (pictured here at the unveiling last night) is a Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV) that will be running on a blend of 85 percent cellulosic ethanol that POET produced at the POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. The cellulosic ethanol was produced from corn cobs, leaves, husks and stalks that is left in the field after farmers harvest their corn crop.

We're excited to show the nation that cellulosic ethanol is here today and can fuel an ambitious road trip like the EcoTrek is undertaking. Stay tuned to this blog and the Ecotrek web site for more information on the tour.

Emmetsburg, Iowa named ‘Community of the Year’ by Biofuels Digest

Emmetsburg, Iowa and farmers in the surrounding area got the nod from Biofuels Digest for “Community of the Year” in the magazine’s annual awards.

According to the publication, the town received the honor “for the transformation of the small local community’s economy through corn and cellulosic ethanol.”

In response to this award, Emmetsburg City Administrator John Bird said the town was very excited for the distinction and that they value their relationship with POET and Project LIBERTY.

I know everyone at POET echoes that opinion.

There’s exciting work going on around Project LIBERTY, and it’s rewarding to be doing that work in a community that shares that excitement. As Project LIBERTY Director Jim Sturdevant said: “The entire community has embraced its role as a leader in the nation’s clean energy future.”

Starting a market for biomass is one of the most challenging aspects of Project LIBERTY, and the farmers and community members have remained engaged, patient and steadfast.

As POET moves forward to commercial cellulosic ethanol production, it’s comforting to know we’re going step-by-step with real partners.

Technorati Tags: Cellulosic ethanol,ethanol,POET,Project LIBERTY,Emmetsburg