News
08/11/2010
NorthEast BioMass Conference in Boston
The Northeast Biomass Conference & Expo in Boston Aug. 4-6 featured an afternoon of biorefining panels that covered biomass conversion approaches and feedstock challenges. The first panel, “Cutting-Edge Conversion Approaches: Breakthroughs in Biorefining,” was comprised of executives of leading biorefining—and in one case, petro-plastic recycling—companies.
2010 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo An Upbeat St. Louis
John Gell described GR Biofuels’ proposal to locate a 20 MMgy woody biomass-based cellulosic ethanol plant in the Eastman Business Park in Rochester, N.Y. In addition to water, power and steam, and good transportation logistics, the long-time chemical production site has “public support for development,” Gell said. A brownfield site at Alton, Ill., is being proposed as the location for an ethanol project involving a dry mill corn ethanol plant using cutting edge technologies integrated with an Inbicon biorefinery using lignin pellets and municipal solid waste for both cellulosic ethanol power and steam, according to Peter Bendorf, Integro Services Group.
John Gell, GR Biofuels, speaks during plenary session at FEW in St.Loius
John Gell, Genessee Regional Biofuels, described a project to locate a 20 MMgy woody biomass-based cellulosic ethanol plant in the Eastman Business Park in Rochester, N.Y., where film used to be made. The site includes rail access, nearby power plants and interstate access. In addition to water, power and steam, the long-time chemical production site has “public support for development,” Gell said.
John Gell, GR Biofuels, speaks during biotechnology and biofuels congress EurasiaBIO in Moscow
Closing down $24 billion biofuels tax credit loophole: a good idea (here’s why)
There has been some confusion about the provision in the industry — understandable, because “elimination of a biofuel tax credit” sounds like bad news. However, the House text is actually favorable.First, the bill as passed amends the term “qualified feedstock” for the $1.01 per gallon cellulosic ethanol producer credit to mean “i. any lignocellulosic or hemicellulosic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis, and ii. any cultivate algae, cyanobacteria or lemna.”Second, the tax credit that was shut down was a credit recognizing black liquor — a byproduct of pulp and paper manufacturing — as a biofuel, rather than a biofuel feedstock. The current structure of the credit permitted pulp and paper mills to claim a 50 cent gallon payout per gallon of black liquor that was burned in boilers to make steam for power generation — a practice for many years in the industry, rather than a new practice. The manufacturers were able to claim between $6 billion and $7 billion in payouts in the most recent fiscal year, according to Digest sources.
