Poet reduces cost of cellulosic ethanol production

Ethanol Producer Magazine December 2009
By Erin Voegele
Report posted Nov. 20, 2009, at 11:54 a.m. CST

Poet LLC recently announced it has reduced the per-gallon cost of cellulosic ethanol production by $1.78 during the first year of operation at its Scotland, S.D.-based pilot-scale production facility. According to the company, the cost reductions achieved during their first year of operating the pilot plant have exceeded expectations. Reductions in energy usage, enzyme costs, raw material requirements and capital expenses reduced the per-gallon cost of cellulosic ethanol from $4.13 to $2.35 during this time. Poet’s goal is to achieve a per-gallon cost below $2 before start-up of their planned commercial-scale facility.

The pilot facility in Scotland first began producing ethanol on Nov. 18, 2008. To date, the facility has produced approximately 20,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol. According to information provided by Mark Stowers, Poet’s senior vice president of science and technology, the pilot facility was able to demonstrate lab-scale performance in its first 30 days of operation. “I think our pilot demonstration has been hugely successful and we are at the stage where we are passing our technology package over to our design and construction colleagues to begin the process of looking at a commercial-scale operation in Emmetsburg,” he said.

Read the full story