Cellulosic Ethanol Overview
As we look to the future of renewable energy, we look to the world's most abundant organic compound -- cellulose. It provides the cellular structure for trees, grass and all things organic. It can also provide the energy to fuel our cars.
The Renewable Fuels Standard sets an annual goal of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022, with 16 billion gallons coming from cellulosic ethanol. POET is working hard to make that goal a reality. We are working to be involved in the production of 3.5 billion gallons cellulosic ethanol by 2022, making use of various cellulosic feedstocks from across the country.
Cellulosic ethanol's potential is enormous. With over 1.3 billion tons of biomass available for ethanol production, we can replace all gasoline made from imported oil. The environmental and economic benefits will be equally impressive.
POET devotes tremendous resources to developing cellulosic ethanol. Every day, our researchers work to make it more affordable. We've invested heavily in cellulosic research over the past decade, and we will invest much more as we begin construction on our first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant, in Emmetsburg, Iowa, which we anticipate will produce 25 million gallons per year.
We make use of corncobs, leaves, husk, and some stalk that passes through the combine during harvest. Our process uses about 25% of the material, leaving 75% on the ground for erosion control, nutrient replacement and other important farm management practices.
We believe that the key to unlocking cellulosic ethanol is enzymes. We plan to use the technology we're developing today to convert other sources into fuel, including switchgrass and wood chips.
But we will generate more than fuel. Once ethanol is produced, the remaining material will be fed into an anaerobic digester to produce power. We anticipate that enough power will be produced from this material to run both the cellulosic ethanol plant and the adjacent grain-based ethanol plant without the need for fossil fuels.
To follow POET's progress in commercializing cellulosic ethanol, check out the Project LIBERTY blog and the Project LIBERTY news section.
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