Date: February 24, 2011
DuPont Applied BioSciences President Craig Binetti told attendees of a recent clean technology conference that DuPont expects the biofuels industry worldwide to grow by $25 billion in the next five years and it plans to contribute to the expansion through its cellulosic ethanol and biobutanol ventures.
“While ethanol and biobutanol each have the potential to add value to the global biofuels market, a three-component blend of ethanol-biobutanol-gasoline has significant advantages as well,” Binetti said. “We are positioning ourselves so we are advantaged when the rapid growth occurs in advanced renewable fuels over the next decade.”
DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC was created several years ago as a joint venture between Dupont and enzyme and specialty food ingredient manufacturer Danisco to commercialize cellulosic ethanol production technology. In January, DuPont announced plans to purchase Danisco for nearly $6 billion. DDCE recently received a $9 million grant from the Iowa Power Fund Board to build its first 25 MMgy commercial-scale facility, dubbed Project Blackhawk, in one of two Iowa counties.
My comment: following Japan's nuclear accident, the renewable route will gather speed and one can easily forecast faster (political) progress. Further penetration of biofuel will have a political cost in the near term in the form of further food riots across a number of countries and will be a a leading factor behind long term food price increases. Novozyme predictions that some sinificant progress will be registered in 2nd generation plants as early as 2013 may prove to be a bit over-optimistic, as large investments will have to be made to modify starch-based plants into cellulosic and infrastructure investments will have to accompany the emergence of 2nd generation biofuels.
Source: ethanolproducer.com
No comments:
Post a Comment