POET-DSM nears start-up of cellulosic ethanol plant in US

摘要

In the US, several commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants that use enzymes to derive sugar from biomass are set for start-up in 2014. On 18 Feb 2014, Spain-based Abengoa said it will start operations at the ethanol portion of its cellulosic complex in Kansas, US, in the coming weeks. The plant will utilize straw and corn stover sourced from a 50-mile radius. Abengoa has previously inaugurated a biomass-powered 21 MW facility in Kansas and has started commercializing the electricity it generated in 2013. Enzyme prices have declined to 30 cents/gal from $1.50/gal, and total production costs have decreased to approximately $2/gal from $4/gal, according to Abengoa.