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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri size=7>FYI: A basic 101 course in "What is
Cellulosics?" And should the conservation community engage into this
important movement? </FONT><FONT
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<H1>Cellulosic Ethanol Feedstocks</H1>
<P>Plants contain the cellulosic materials <FONT color=#ff0000>cellulose</FONT>
and <FONT color=#ff0000>hemicellulose.</FONT> These complex polymers form the
structure of plant stalks, leaves, trunks, branches, and husks. They are also in
products made from plants, such as paper. Cellulosic feedstocks contain sugars
within their cellulose and hemicellulose, but they are more difficult to
biochemically convert into ethanol than starch- and sugar-based feedstocks.
Cellulose resists being broken down into its component sugars. Hemicellulose is
easier to break down, but the resulting sugars are difficult to ferment. The
plant compound lignin also resists biochemical conversion.</P>
<P>Developing processes to break down these components of biomass economically
has been the focus of research by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other
government and industry groups. Significant progress has resulted in biochemical
conversion processes to break down cellulose and hemicellulose and
thermochemical conversion processes to break down lignin. Together, these
processes could unlock the potential of cellulosic feedstocks for <A
title="http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ethanol/production_cellulosic.html CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ethanol/production_cellulosic.html">ethanol
production</A>. <FONT size=4>Visit the DOE Biomass Program's</FONT> <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/deployment.html CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/deployment.html">Deployment</A> page
to learn about DOE-supported cellulosic ethanol biorefinery projects and view a
project map.</P>
<DIV class=floatright><IMG height=200
alt="Photo of two farmers in a field of switchgrass."
src="http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ethanol/images/photo_00205.jpg" width=250
border=0> </DIV>
<P>Cellulosic feedstocks suited to ethanol production include the following:</P>
<UL>
<LI><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5>Agricultural
residue</FONT>—crop residues such as wheat straw and corn stalks, leaves, and
husks
<LI><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5>Forestry
residue</FONT>—logging and mill residues such as wood chips, sawdust, and
pulping liquor
<LI><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5>Grasses</FONT>—hardy,
fast-growing grasses such as switchgrass grown specifically for ethanol
production
<LI><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5>Municipal and other
wastes</FONT>—plant-derived wastes such as household garbage, paper products,
paper pulp, and food-processing waste
<LI><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5>Trees</FONT>—fast-growing
trees such as poplar and willow grown specifically for ethanol production
</LI></UL>
<P>These feedstocks have many advantages over starch- and sugar-based
feedstocks. They are much more abundant and thus can be used to produce more
substantial amounts of ethanol to meet U.S. fuel demand. They are waste products
or, in the case of trees and grasses grown specifically for ethanol production,
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">can be grown on marginal lands not
suitable for other crops</FONT>. Less fossil fuel energy is required to
grow/collect them and convert them to ethanol (see <A
title="http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ethanol/balance.html CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ethanol/balance.html">Energy Balance of
Ethanol</A>), and they are not human food products.</P>
<P>However, limitations on cellulosic feedstock quantities do exist. For
example, limits must be placed on the amount of crop residue removed to protect
lands from erosion and to sustain soil organic carbon. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's <A
title="http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/programs/programs.htm?np_code=202&docid=15193 CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/programs/programs.htm?np_code=202&docid=15193">Renewable
Energy Assessment Project</A> is determining the amount of residue needed to
protect the soil resource, comparing economic implications of using stover as a
bioenergy feedstock versus a source of carbon to build soil organic carbon, and
providing harvest rate recommendations and guidelines.</P>
<P>To learn more, see the DOE Biomass Program's <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/abcs_biofuels.html#feed CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/abcs_biofuels.html#feed">Bioethanol
Feedstocks</A> page.</P></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV class=headline>
<DIV class=headline><IMG class=subhead height=17
src="http://www.mascoma.com/images/subhead_cell02.gif" width=373 from? made
ethanol cellulosic is alt?What></DIV>
<P>Ethanol is used as a fuel in many countries, including Brazil, where it is
produced from sugar cane and in the United States, where fuel grade ethanol is
produced from corn. However, neither of these sources is cellulosic
ethanol.<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><FONT size=5> Mascoma’s</FONT>
transformative technology uses yeast and bacteria to produce ethanol from
non-food agricultural and forestry materials sources such as</FONT> <FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">switchgrass, wood, and agricultural
waste.</FONT> These sustainable raw materials are known as "feedstocks” or
“<SPAN class=bold>cellulosic biomass</SPAN>”. </P></DIV>
<DIV class=headline><IMG class=subhead height=17
src="http://www.mascoma.com/images/subhead_cell03.gif" width=309 ethanol
cellulosic is made? alt?How></DIV>
<P>All plants convert solar energy into strongly linked chains of sugar known as
cellulose. Anyone who has ever made beer knows that yeast can make ethanol from
sugar. Yeast, however, cannot easily convert the sugar in cellulose to ethanol
without the chains first being broken down into simple sugars. There are two
principle approaches to breaking the cellulose chains into sugars. </P>
<P><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><SPAN
class=bold>Thermochemical</SPAN> conversion</FONT> involves the breaking down of
biomass into a mixture of gases and then converting the gasses into ethanol.
Although thermochemical conversional is a simpler and relatively mature
technology, <FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">it requires significant
capital and energy expenses.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=5><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><SPAN
class=bold>Biochemical</SPAN> methods rely on the use of enzymes to break down
the cellulose into sugar</FONT>. Where do these enzymes come from? In Nature,
organisms such as termites live on sugars derived from cellulose. Similar to
humans, the digestive system of a termite requires bacteria to digest food. But
in the case of <FONT color=#ff0000>termites,</FONT> the resident bacteria
produce special enzymes that can break down cellulose into simple sugars that
are used to fuel the termite’s body. In industry, the enzymes used to break down
the cellulose into sugars come from yeast and bacteria which then also ferment
the sugar into ethanol. </FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV class=headline><IMG class=subhead height=17
src="http://www.mascoma.com/images/subhead_cell01.gif" width=262 is alt?What
Ethanol? Cellulosic></DIV>
<P>No one knows the first use of ethanol (or alcohol) by humans but the
discovery of stone-age beer containers suggests that the earliest fermentations
were carried out about 12,000 years ago. From early production of wine and beer
to fuel for Indy Race Cars, we are all familiar with ethanol. </P>
<P>Ethanol’s energy is derived from plants that in turn obtain their energy from
the sun. In this way, ethanol acts as a means of storing solar power in liquid
form. <SPAN class=bold>Cellulosic ethanol</SPAN> is ethanol that is obtained
from the non-edible portion of plant material. Cellulosic ethanol is identical
in composition and performance to ethanol derived from corn or sugar cane.
Cellulosic ethanol, however, has important environmental, economic and
sustainability advantages over conventional sources due to its source and method
of production. </P></DIV>
<DIV class=headline><IMG class=subhead height=21
src="http://www.mascoma.com/images/subhead_cell04.gif" width=415 is alt?What
Bioprocessing(CBP)? Consolidated><FONT size=5> (From Mascoma Corporation
web site)</FONT></DIV>
<P>In nature, there are few strains of yeast or bacteria capable of directly and
efficiently producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass. The unique technology
developed by Mascoma Corporation uses yeast and bacteria that are engineered to
produce large quantities of the enzymes necessary to break down the cellulose
and ferment the resulting sugars into ethanol. Combining these two steps
(enzymatic digestion and fermentation) significantly reduces costs by
eliminating the need for enzyme produced in a separate refinery. <FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">This process, called </FONT><SPAN
class=bold><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">Consolidated</FONT> <FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">Bioprocessing or “CBP”</FONT></SPAN><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">,</FONT> will ultimately enable the conversion
of the solar energy contained in plants to ethanol in just a few days. This
represents a vastly different time scale than the fossil fuels we use today
which required millions of years to be formed from decomposing plants and
animals.</P>
<P>Technological barriers to achieve CBP have been overcome by dedication and
innovation. Mascoma Corporation recently announced major advances in CBP, which
were heralded by biofuels expert Bruce Dale as “a true breakthrough that takes
us much, much closer to billions of gallons of low-cost cellulosic biofuels.
Many had thought that CBP was years or even decades away, but the future just
arrived.</P></FONT></DIV>
<P>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>
<P><FONT size=7>The Biomass Program</FONT> uses the terms "Demonstration and
Deployment" to describe on-the-ground activities, including biorefinery plant
construction and operation. Engaging in actual fuel and co-product refining is a
key segment of the Program's work toward increased biofuels production and use.
In partnership with industry, deployment activities engage participants across a
variety of available technologies and feedstocks, in the quest to develop clean,
affordable, sustainable alternative fuels.</P><MAP name=Deployment><AREA
shape=RECT
alt="Sustainable feedstock production includes all of the steps required to produce biomass feedstocks to the point they are ready to be collected or harvested from the field or forest."
coords=6,36,80,148
href="/biomass/feedstocks_sustainable_production.html"><AREA shape=RECT
alt="Feedstock logistics encompasses all of the unit operations necessary to move biomass feedstocks from the land to the biorefinery."
coords=99,35,174,147 href="/biomass/feedstocks_logistics.html"><AREA
shape=RECT
alt="Biological matter is used to produce transportation fuels, chemicals, and heat and power."
coords=190,36,265,147 href="/biomass/processing_conversion.html"><AREA
shape=RECT
alt="Biofuels Infrastructure moves the fuel from a biorefining plant to the pump."
coords=285,36,364,147 href="/biomass/plant-to-pump.html"><AREA shape=RECT
alt="Bioenergy is used to power today's vehicles." coords=383,35,463,147
href="/biomass/markets.html"></MAP><IMG
alt="Biomass to Biofuels supply chain diagram with red highlight of biofuels production segment: Feedstock production (picture of two men in a field of switchgrass), feedstock logistics (picture of combine harvester in corn field), biofuels production (picture of biorefinery), biofuels distribution (picture of fuel pump for E85), biofuels end use (picture of car)."
src="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/images/biofuel0.jpg"
useMap=#Deployment>
<P>Information about the Biomass Program's complementary Research and
Development activities, including detailed discussion of internal <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/integrated_biorefineries.html CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/integrated_biorefineries.html">biorefinery</A>
and infrastructure efforts, can be found on this Web site's <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/technologies.html CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/technologies.html">Technologies</A>
page.</P>
<P>Information about current funding opportunities for Demonstration and
Deployment can be found on this Web site's <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/financial_opportunities.html CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/financial_opportunities.html">Financial
Opportunities</A> page.</P>
<P>Map of DOE Cellulosic Biorefinery Deployment Projects <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/biofuels_project_locations.pdf CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/biofuels_project_locations.pdf">(PDF
104 KB)</A></P>
<H2>Integrated Cellulosic Biorefineries</H2>
<P><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5>On February 28, 2007, DOE
</FONT><A
title="http://www.energy.gov/news/4827.htm CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.energy.gov/news/4827.htm"><FONT
title="http://www.energy.gov/news/4827.htm CTRL + Click to follow link"
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5>selected six biorefinery
projects</FONT></A><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" size=5> to develop
commercial-scale integrated biorefineries</FONT> demonstrating the use of a wide
variety of cellulosic feedstocks such as corn fiber, wood wastes, agriculture
residues, municipal solid wastes and potential energy crops. The goal is to
demonstrate that integrated biorefineries can operate profitably once their
construction costs are covered and can be replicated. <FONT color=#ff0000
size=4>DOE will invest up to $385 million</FONT> in the six projects over the
next four years. When fully operational, these facilities will be capable of
producing more than 130 million gallons of ethanol per year. </P>
<P>While the refining process for cellulosic ethanol is more complex than that
of corn-based ethanol, cellulosic ethanol yields a somewhat greater net energy
benefit and results in lower greenhouse gas emissions. Of the six selected
companies, four<FONT face=Arial>—</FONT>BlueFire Ethanol, Inc., Poet, Iogen
Biorefinery Partners, and Abengoa Bioenergy<FONT face=Arial>—</FONT>will
principally utilize biochemical processes to free the sugars from the biomass
and then ferment them into alcohol. The two remaining companies, Range Fuels and
Alico plan to use thermochemical processes to first gasify the biomass into a
"synthesis gas." The synthesis gas will then be further converted to
biofuels.</P>
<P>Current information about the projects and partner companies can be found on
this Web site's <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/past_solicitations.html#Integrated_Cellulosic_Biorefineries CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/past_solicitations.html#Integrated_Cellulosic_Biorefineries">Financial
Opportunities</A> page.</P>
<H2>Ten Percent Validation - Small-Scale Cellulosic Biorefineries</H2>
<P>On January 29, 2008, the Department of Energy (DOE) <A
title="http://www.energy.gov/news/5903.htm CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.energy.gov/news/5903.htm">announced it will provide up to $114
million</A>, over four years, to support the development of small-scale
cellulosic biorefineries. The projects will develop biorefineries at 10% of
commercial scale that produce liquid transportation fuels as well as biobased
chemicals and bioproducts used in industrial applications. Projects selected to
negotiate awards will use novel approaches and a variety of cellulosic
feedstocks to test new conversion processes. Combined with industry cost share,
more than $331 million will be invested in these four projects.</P>
<P>Current information about the projects and partner companies can be found on
this Web site's <A
title="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/past_solicitations.html#Ten_Percent CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/past_solicitations.html#Ten_Percent">Financial
Opportunities</A> page.</P></FONT></DIV>
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