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Author Topic: The largest cellulosic ethanol plants in the world are ready to prove their mettle Post a Reply Back to Topics
gamechanger2011

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Message Posted: May 1, 2012 12:34:13 PM

"That plan includes the commercial-scale facility in Crescentino, Italy, designed to produce up to 20 MMgy of cellulosic ethanol when fully operational. Locally obtained rice straw, wheat straw and Arundo donax will serve as the facility’s primary feedstocks, but the trademarked Proesa process technology developed by Chemtex is feedstock agnostic, a quality which Ghisolfi says will be key to the technology’s wide-ranging success. “We can make cellulosic ethanol starting from any biomass, any grass, any straw,” he says. “You can run a week with rice straw, a week with corn stover, a week with wheat straw, without changing hardware and without changing enzymes. This gives a lot of flexibility because you can get different types of biomass from the area around the plant depending on the season [and] the cost.”
The largest cellulosic ethanol plants in the world are ready to prove their mettle
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gamechanger2011
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Message Posted: May 29, 2012 11:38:39 PM

"Brazil-based GraalBio Investimentos S.A. will begin building Brazil’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant this summer in Alagaos, Brazil, a small coastal state in the northeast region of the country. Beta Renewables, a $350 million joint venture between Italian chemical company Mossi & Ghisolfi Group’s Chemtex division and private investment firm TPG, has agreed to license its trademarked Proesa pretreatment process technology to GraalBio for the 22 MMgy plant, which will allow GraalBio to convert locally sourced sugarcane straw and bagasse into ethanol and lignin"
Brazil's first cellulosic ethanol plant

[Edited by: gamechanger2011 at 5/30/2012 12:39:25 AM EST]
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gamechanger2011
Champion Author Wichita

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Message Posted: May 29, 2012 11:05:42 PM

I love this article ethanolbob. This company is also working with Brazil to build their first cellulosic ethanol plant.
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ethanolbob
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Message Posted: May 29, 2012 4:27:13 AM

Sounds good. Bring it on.
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krzysiek_ck
Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 3:03:47 PM

Shockjock1961 wrote: "What all this has to do with posting here, I'm unclear on. Perhaps you could explain what you mean by that?"

As for the answer, quote by Shockjock1961 to Shockjock1961: "Selective memory perhaps?"

[Edited by: krzysiek_ck at 5/4/2012 4:07:45 PM EST]
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krzysiek_ck
Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 3:01:31 PM

Shockjock1961 wrote: "I see. Run out of defensible statements and go on the personal attack..."

What personal attack? Since when stating facts is considered a personal attack?

Did you mean these?

1. "Selective memory perhaps?"
2. "I see, playing ignorant..."

Yes, these are very good examples of personal comments. Feel free to report yourself.

[Edited by: krzysiek_ck at 5/4/2012 4:01:08 PM EST]
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 2:42:23 PM

"Isn't the government subsidizing your paycheck while you post on these chat sites"

I see. Run out of defensible statements and go on the personal attack...

In answer to your question, the Feds do subsidize higher education, I don't think they should be.

Do they subsidize my personal pay check? Not at all. I'm an employee of the state, and like everyone else that works, my employer pays me for the work I do for them.

What all this has to do with posting here, I'm unclear on. Perhaps you could explain what you mean by that?
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SilverStreaker
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 2:36:38 PM

Shockjock1961 says "I believe in free enterprise and believe that the Federal government should not be subsidizing any body."

Isn't the government subsidizing your paycheck while you post on these chat sites?
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 2:00:09 PM

Not at all. I don't think The taxpayer should be "footing the bill" for petroleum corporations either.

But then again, you already knew that SS, since I've stated it numerous times...

Selective memory perhaps?

I believe in free enterprise and believe that the Federal government should not be subsidizing any body. It's not up to them to try and pick the winners or losers, which is what they are doing with subsidies.

[Edited by: Shockjock1961 at 5/4/2012 3:02:01 PM EST]
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SilverStreaker
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 1:34:37 PM

I see, so you think it's OK for taxpayers to foot the bill for petroleum corporations, but not ethanol producers.
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 11:13:15 AM

"You mean the petroleum corporations"

I see, playing ignorant...

Of course not. I'm talking about the ethanol producers, and companies like ADM, or Cargill...

But then you knew that....
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SilverStreaker
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 11:03:28 AM

Shockjock1961 says "corporations in the US need to have the taxpayer foot the bill"

You mean the petroleum corporations?
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 10:48:26 AM

Never said they weren't. Just curious how a family can manage this on their own in Italy, while corporations in the US need to have the taxpayer foot the bill and still can't do the same...
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gamechanger2011
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 10:32:58 AM

Italy is a free country just like the US Shocky!
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 10:28:44 AM

So a family in Italy can afford to risk building and running a cellulosic ethanol production plant, but Multibillion dollar corporations can't afford to do the same unless they have the taxpayer pay for a large chunk of the expenses, or at least have the taxpayer be the ones at risk if they fail in the endeavor?
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gamechanger2011
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 8:11:33 AM

I'm saying that a family with money made a choice and made an investment. It sounds like they are a wealthy family.

What's with your questions. They are odd at times!


[Edited by: gamechanger2011 at 5/4/2012 9:13:50 AM EST]
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 4, 2012 8:07:47 AM

"shocky....well evidently they have money"

So are you saying that American Ethanol Producers are destitute?
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gamechanger2011
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 9:44:00 PM

shocky....well evidently they have money. What part of the article is difficult for you to understand. "Of the handful of cellulosic ethanol developers making their way toward commercial cellulosic ethanol production, M&G is the first to make it this far with no outside financial support. Ghisolfi says it is because the company has self-financed everything that it has been able to make such significant progress in a short amount of time. “We were not slowed down by lack of funds or the need to raise capital,” he says. “Once the family had decided to invest a considerable amount of money, we could spend our money according to our initial plan.”
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 7:25:57 PM

OK, GC, so explain to me why an Italian company can build an experimental Cellulosic ethanol plant using there own money exclusively, while companies here in the US cannot?
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gamechanger2011
Champion Author Wichita

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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 5:11:10 PM

Silverstreaker...exactly!
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SilverStreaker
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 3:23:07 PM

"Shocky...the plant is in Italy...not the US"

Shocky, the only thing that you have proved is that you have reading comprehension problems.
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krzysiek_ck
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 2:59:04 PM

Shockjock1961 wrote: "Do you mean like the time I proved that despite using 40% of the corn harvest, ethanol only replaces a very small fraction of the liquid fuels used for transportation (3.4% to be more precise)?"

I'm still waiting for you to provide "a link to a respected Internet source" to backup your statement of US "using 40% of the corn harvest" to produce ethanol.

I'm also still waiting for multiple other links that you failed to provide up to this date.
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 2:51:47 PM

"Shocky...the plant is in Italy...not the US"

Further Proof that US companies won't risk building Cellulosic ethanol plants, unless of course the money at risk is taxpayer and not their own...
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 2:50:14 PM

"Do you have any proof of your claim? You are always demanding links but rarely provide them yourself"

Do you mean like the time I proved that despite using 40% of the corn harvest, ethanol only replaces a very small fraction of the liquid fuels used for transportation (3.4% to be more precise)?
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 2:47:28 PM

"The first U.S. plant planning to begin operating at a commercial-scale is the Ineos New Planet Bioenergy LLC facility, dubbed the Indian River BioEnergy Center, located near Vero Beach, Fla. The plant will produce 8 MMgy of ethanol and 6 megawatts of power using locally sourced municipal solid waste and vegetative waste, including some waste citrus, beginning in the second half of this year. In mid-March, the project was still on track to be mechanically complete by April and expected to meet the U.S. EPA’s expectations of producing about 2 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol this year. Last year, Ineos Bio received a $75 million loan guarantee from the USDA for the Indian River project, helping to alleviate some of the risk"
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gamechanger2011
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 2:12:14 PM

Shocky...the plant is in Italy...not the US.

Where does the article say that taxpayers are guaranteeing the loan?

" Ghisolfi says. The company determined the risk was worth the cost, and M&G invested more than $200 million to fully fund its cellulosic ethanol activities, including technology development, the establishment of a pilot plant, developing biomass supplies to properly feed the technology, and, finally, the construction of a 15-20 MMgy production facility."



[Edited by: gamechanger2011 at 5/3/2012 3:17:12 PM EST]
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SilverStreaker
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 2:09:34 PM

Shockjock1961 says "Self financed? Hardly. The taxpayer is guaranteeing their loan. How is that "self financed"?"

Do you have any proof of your claim? You are always demanding links but rarely provide them yourself.
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 1:45:29 PM

"Ghisolfi says it is because the company has self-financed"

Self financed? Hardly. The taxpayer is guaranteeing their loan. How is that "self financed"?
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gamechanger2011
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 12:29:49 PM

I thought that this was an interesting part of the article.

"Of the handful of cellulosic ethanol developers making their way toward commercial cellulosic ethanol production, M&G is the first to make it this far with no outside financial support. Ghisolfi says it is because the company has self-financed everything that it has been able to make such significant progress in a short amount of time. “We were not slowed down by lack of funds or the need to raise capital,” he says. “Once the family had decided to invest a considerable amount of money, we could spend our money according to our initial plan.”
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chemist74
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Message Posted: May 3, 2012 7:50:06 AM

I hope one of the cellulosic ethanol plants is eventually economically practical.

Companies have been putting out press releases for years claiming that they are building a cellulosic ethanol plant or will be starting production soon but none seem to have actually been successful. At this point I do not believe anything in a press release and will wait until a plant is making a profit without any subsidy or tax break before I believe them.
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jacksfan
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Message Posted: May 2, 2012 5:00:25 PM

"Any subsidy is a waste of taxpayer money..."

Sure doesn't speak very highly of our system of higher education, now does it?
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krzysiek_ck
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Message Posted: May 2, 2012 3:30:21 PM

Shockjock1961 wrote: "Any subsidy is a waste of taxpayer money..."

Including your paycheck that is heavily subsidized.
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 2, 2012 3:21:49 PM

"Shockjock1961, if these cellulosic ethanol plants become commercially viable, will you still consider them to be a waste of taxpayer money?"

If they have to be subsidized, to get them running or to keep them running, yes.

Any subsidy is a waste of taxpayer money...





[Edited by: Shockjock1961 at 5/2/2012 4:26:36 PM EST]
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SilverStreaker
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Message Posted: May 2, 2012 2:46:18 PM

Shockjock1961, if these cellulosic ethanol plants become commercially viable, will you still consider them to be a waste of taxpayer money?
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Shockjock1961
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Message Posted: May 2, 2012 11:19:05 AM

Lots of promises, but there have been plenty promises in the past (and plenty of taxpayer money wasted in the process).
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gamechanger2011
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Message Posted: May 1, 2012 8:26:39 PM

sivlerstreaker....let's hope. I want to buy one. maybe we should form a co-op and buy one! I'm impressed at how they can change from week to week what they are processing!
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SilverStreaker
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Message Posted: May 1, 2012 8:08:18 PM

Let's hope they can become commercially viable.
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