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Coskata opens huge biofuels demo plant
16/10/2009
US-based renewable energy firm Coskata has opened a new 50,000-gallon demonstration plant to show its innovative approach to biofuel production.
The plant can turn materials including wood chip and forestry industry by-products into liquid fuel. It hopes to open a fully operational plant in the future and originally wanted to open a full-scale plant by 2010, but its plans were pushed back as a result of the recession.
The company uses a hybrid process to produce fuel, including both the thermochemical and biological processes. It hopes that using both methods will result in higher yields.
There has been a considerable amount of investment from governments and energy firms into the development of high-yield biofuel production techniques.
The biofuels created at the plant will emit 96 per cent less greenhouse gases than transitional fossil fuels. Such fuels are increasingly mixed with traditional fuels for use in cars.
Coskata says it eventually hopes to be able to sell the fuel for $1 a gallon. The fuel is expected to be marketed by General Motors, which has invested in the company and says half its cars will be able to take the fuel by 2012.
The plant can turn materials including wood chip and forestry industry by-products into liquid fuel. It hopes to open a fully operational plant in the future and originally wanted to open a full-scale plant by 2010, but its plans were pushed back as a result of the recession.
The company uses a hybrid process to produce fuel, including both the thermochemical and biological processes. It hopes that using both methods will result in higher yields.
There has been a considerable amount of investment from governments and energy firms into the development of high-yield biofuel production techniques.
The biofuels created at the plant will emit 96 per cent less greenhouse gases than transitional fossil fuels. Such fuels are increasingly mixed with traditional fuels for use in cars.
Coskata says it eventually hopes to be able to sell the fuel for $1 a gallon. The fuel is expected to be marketed by General Motors, which has invested in the company and says half its cars will be able to take the fuel by 2012.
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