30 October 2015
ABOUT DUPONT INDUSTRIAL BIOSCIENCES
DETAILS
DuPont celebrated the opening of its cellulosic biofuel facility
in Nevada, Iowa, with a ceremony including
Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad and many other dignitaries.
This biorefinery is the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant,
with the capacity to produce 30 million gallons per year of clean fuel
that offers a 90 percent reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions as compared to gasoline.
VIDEO: Building the World’s Largest Cellulosic Ethanol Biorefinery
The raw material used to produce the ethanol is
corn stover
– the stalks, leaves and cobs left in a field after harvest.
The facility will demonstrate at commercial scale
that non-food feedstocks from agriculture
can be the renewable raw material
to power the future energy demands of society.
Cellulosic ethanol will further diversify the transportation fuel mix
just as wind and solar are expanding
the renewable options for power generation.
VIDEO: The Boy Who Made Something Out Of Anything
– DuPont Creates Cellulosic Ethanol from Crop Waste
The DuPont biorefinery will produce biofuel
from corn stover harvested within 30 miles of the plant.
DuPont brings an unparalleled combination
of science competencies and
almost 90 years of agronomy expertise in Iowa to develo
both a pioneering clean fuel and biomass supply chain.
Vital to the supply chain and the entire operation
of the Nevada biorefinery are
close to 500 local farmers, who will provide
the annual 375,000 dry tons of stover
needed to produce this cellulosic ethanol from
within a 30-mile radius of the facility.
In addition to providing a brand-new revenue stream
for these growers, the plant will create
85 full-time jobs at the plant and
more than 150 seasonal local jobs in Iowa.
VIDEO: How it Works: DuPont Integrated Process for Converting Biomass to Cellulosic Ethanol
“Iowa has a rich history of innovation in agriculture,”
said Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.
“Today we celebrate the next chapter in that story,
using agricultural residue as a feedstock for fuel,
which brings both tremendous environmental benefits
to society and economic benefits to the state.
The opening of DuPont’s biorefinery represents
a great example of the innovation
that is possible when rural communities, their government
and private industry work together toward a common goal.”
Biomass-based businesses can bring
new sources of revenue and high-tech opportunities
to rural economies around the world.
As a global company with operations in more than 90 countries,
DuPont is uniquely positioned to deploy its cellulosic technology
for a global rollout, in transportation fuel and other industries.
“Today, we fulfill our promise to the global biofuels industry
with the dedication of our Iowa facility,”
said William F. Feehery,
president of DuPont Industrial Biosciences.
“And perhaps more significantly, we fulfill our promise
to society to bring scientific innovation to the market
that positively impacts people’s lives.
Cellulosic biofuel is joining ranks with wind and solar
as true alternatives to fossil fuels, reducing
damaging environmental impacts and increasing our energy security.”
1.
In Asia, DuPont recently
announced its first licensing agreement with New Tianlong Industry
to build China’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant, and
last fall a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
was announced between
DuPont, Ethanol Europe and the government of Macedonia
to develop a second-generation biorefinery project.
2.
The company also is working in
partnership with Procter & Gamble to use
cellulosic ethanol in North American Tide® laundry detergents.
The majority of the fuel produced at the Nevada, Iowa, facility
will be bound for California to fulfill
the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard where the state
has adopted a policy to reduce carbon intensity
in transportation fuels.
The plant also will serve as a commercial-scale demonstration
of the cellulosic technology where investors from
all over the world can see firsthand
how to replicate this model in their home regions.
DuPont’s achievement provides the technology
that will transform the U.S. fuel supply enabling a transition
to fulfill the original cellulosic ethanol volume targets
as Congress intended when it passed the Renewable Fuel Standard,
a regulation established in 2005 to encourage growth
and investment in sustainable fuel solutions.
Earlier this month, DuPont and America’s Renewable Future
released new poll findings that suggested Iowa caucus-goers
from both parties
– 61 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Democrats
– would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate
who supports the Renewable Fuel Standard and renewable fuels.
Fact Sheet: The DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol Facility
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI
