ZeaChem signs long-term feedstock agreement for poplar residue

Ethanol Producer Magazine
By Kris Bevill May 17, 2011

ZeaChem Inc. has signed a long-term feedstock agreement with GreenWood Tree Farm Fund LP for its first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefinery. Poplar tree residuals provided from GTFF, which is managed by GreenWood Resources Inc., will provide the majority of the feedstock required for ZeaChem’s 25 MMgy facility, which will be located at Boardman, Ore. Construction of the facility is expected to begin in late 2012 or early 2013, depending the progress of a USDA loan guarantee application, according to ZeaChem CEO Jim Imbler. When complete, the plant will produce cellulosic ethanol and a variety of bio-based chemicals, including acetic acid and ethyl acetate.

Imbler said the agreement with GTFF marks an important milestone for his company, which aims to become a world leader in low-cost advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals production through the use of a hybrid biochemical-thermochemical process to utilize biomass-derived sugars. “We are proud to have GreenWood Resources as a partner in our commercial operation,” he said. “The model we have developed provides a significant strategic advantage and is something that GreenWood Resources and ZeaChem will seek to replicate around the world.”

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