[SustainableTompkins] More on Cellulosic Ethanol research

[Valorie Rockney]

Here's some information about Larry Walker and the research team working 
on this: 
http://hive.bee.cornell.edu/WalkerLab/

And here's the Ithaca Journal article about the grant:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070122/NEWS01/701220326/1002

And the beginning of Jennie Daley's IJ article:

ITHACA -- Cornell University announced Friday that it has received a $10 
million grant from the state that will aid in developing technology for 
industrial-scale production of ethanol.

Cornell will use $6 million of the money from the Empire State 
Development Corp. to turn a 1950s-era workshop on the first floor of 
Riley-Robb Hall into state-of-the-art labs. Related state-of-the-art 
equipment will be bought with the remaining $4 million.

 In the labs, Professor Larry Walker of the biological and environmental 
engineering department, along with graduate students, will continue and 
expand research into the best ways to pre-treat grasses and woody plants 
before they are broken down into ethanol. That is the first step in 
making cellulosic ethanol, which refers to the fuel derived from the 
plants.

Once plants are pre-treated, enzymes are used to break down the fibrous 
part of the plant, called cellulose, into more simple sugars like 
glucose. Microorganisms, like yeast, are then added to process the 
sugars, producing ethanol.

Walker's research is particularly focused on trying to find low-cost 
sugars that will improve the cost-effectiveness of ethanol production. 
At the same time he and his graduate students are looking for a 
combination of plants that can be grown sustainably and will produce 
high-yield sugars.

(The article continues.)

Valorie

Thomas Shelley wrote:

>Dear Friends--Another item on cellulosic ethanol.  Way to go, DOE!
>
>Cornell is also getting in on the act.  A new project is in the process of 
>be developed and funded:
>
>"This Project Plan presents the basic elements of a project called the 
>Cellulosic Ethanol Research Laboratory. This project to build and equip a 
>research laboratory has been funded by the Empire State Development 
>Corporation in the amount of $10M. Enabling work to relocate current 
>research activities may require funding beyond this grant amount."
>
>I'm not sure where this will be sited, but probably on the Contract College 
>side of Cornell facilities, maybe at Geneva??.  Very cool!   Have a great 
>weekend.   Tom
>
>  
>
>>Date:         Fri, 2 Mar 2007 14:16:12 -0600
>>From: Gerry Mckiernan <gerrymck at IASTATE.EDU>
>>Subject: [CHMINF-L] Cellulosic Ethanol On The Way?
>>To: CHMINF-L at LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>>
>>Colleagues:
>>
>>A Major Development [?] for Cellulosic Ethanol?
>>
>>_Biorefinery Grant Announcement_ [02-28-07]
>>Prepared Remarks for Energy Secretary Bodman
>>
>>[snip]
>>
>>"Today we are identifying six biorefinery projects across the country that 
>>we hope will support the development of cost-effective cellulosic ethanol 
>>as an alternative transportation fuel.  Biorefineries are similar in 
>>concept to today's oil refineries; except that instead of using fossil 
>>fuels, they make use of clean, renewable biomass to produce fuel and 
>>chemical feedstocks.
>>
>>The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed the Department of Energy to solicit 
>>proposals for commercial demonstration of advanced biorefineries that use 
>>cellulosic feedstocks to produce ethanol and co-produce bioproducts and 
>>electricity.  The solicitation closed on August 10, 2006.  The six 
>>projects we are unveiling today have been selected for negotiation of 
>>awards totaling up to $385 million over the next four years.  With the 
>>private sector sharing at least 60 percent of the respective project 
>>costs, DOE's funding will leverage over $1.2 billion in total investment 
>>in these biorefineries.
>>
>>The companies that have been selected for negotiations are:
>>
>>Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas, for a facility in Colwich, Kansas.
>>ALICO Inc., for a facility in LaBelle, Florida;
>>BlueFire Ethanol, for a facility located in Corona, California;
>>Broin & Associates, for their "project liberty" facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa;
>>Iogen Biorefinery Partners, for a facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and
>>Range Fuels, for a facility in Soperton, Georgia."
>>
>>[MORE]
>>
>>[  http://www.energy.gov/print/4828.htm ]
>>
>>Gerry
>>
>>Gerry McKiernan
>>Science and  Technology Librarian
>>Iowa State University Library
>>Ames IA 50011
>>
>>geerymck at iastate.edu
>>
>>Iowa: Where The Tall Corn Flows ...
>>
>>CHMINF-L Archives (also to join or leave CHMINF-L, etc.)
>>http://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/chminf-l.html
>>Search the CHMINF-L archives at:
>>https://listserv.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/wa-iub.exe?S1=chminf-l
>>Sponsors of CHMINF-L:
>>http://www.indiana.edu/~libchem/chminfsupport.htm
>>    
>>
>
>Tom Shelley
>118 E. Court St.
>Ithaca, NY 14850
>607 342-0864
>tjs1 at cornell.edu
>http://www.myspace.com/99319958  
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>  
>