EPA expected to lower 2011 cellulosic biofuels volume

Ethanol Producer Magazine
September 2010
By Kris Bevill

After evaluating the market availability of cellulosic biofuels, the U.S. EPA said in July that only five producers are expected to contribute cellulosic ethanol to the overall volume next year and that it might reduce the cellulosic target by as much as 240 million gallons from its original goal. The renewable fuel standard established in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 called for 250 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels to be produced in 2011, but the EPA is predicting a much lower actual achievable volume of between 5 million and 17.1 million gallons.

The EPA said it evaluated both domestic and foreign sources of cellulosic biofuel before issuing its proposed volume standard. The agency found only five U.S. cellulosic ethanol producers with the potential to contribute next year, including: AE Biofuels, Agresti Biofuels, DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol, Fiberight LLC and KL Energy Corp. Ontario-based Iogen Corp. was the sole Canadian producer with the potential to export cellulosic biofuel into the U.S. in 2011. A handful of producers questioned the EPA’s method of reaching those determinations, but the agency stood by its analysis. EPA senior press officer Cathy Milbourn said producers were encouraged to submit any production changes to the EPA during the proposed volume standard comment period. The EPA would then re-evaluate before issuing its final standard in November.

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