Range Fuels Awarded Permit to Construct Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Plant

http://www.renewableaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=49219

Range Fuels announced that the company was awarded a construction permit from the state of Georgia to build the first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in the U.S. Ground breaking will take place this summer in Treutlen County, Georgia, for a 100-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant that will use wood waste from Georgia's forests as its feedstock.

Phase 1 of the plant is scheduled to complete construction in 2008 with a production capacity of 20 million gallons a year.

"We are thrilled to receive this permit and anticipate the construction of many plants throughout Georgia and the Southeast using wood waste to make ethanol," said Mitch Mandich, CEO of Range Fuels. "With Independence Day on July 4, we are excited to begin the march toward independence from our country's reliance on fossil fuel."

The company selected Georgia for its first plant based upon the abundance of forest refuse and the renewable and sustainable forest industry. According to Range Fuels, the state has demonstrated great stewardship of its forest lands and environmental sensitivity - and the forests of Georgia can support up to 2 billion gallons a year of cellulosic ethanol production.

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http://www.insidegreentech.com/node/277

Personal Cellulose Reactor

"Using a two step process to convert the biomass to synthesis gas, and then converts the gas to ethanol, the company has already successfully tested close to 30 types of biomass for producing ethanol."

This made me laugh a little:

"According to Range Fuels, the state has demonstrated great stewardship of its forest lands and environmental sensitivity - and the forests of Georgia can support up to 2 billion gallons a year of cellulosic ethanol production."

Isn't Georgia in the midst of their worst drought in history? I guess there will be a lot of dead wood for the plant to burn from all the dying forests, but I wouldn't call that sustainable.

It's a last ditch attempt by the Oil Producers and Automakers to keep their antique cash-cow, the internal combustion engine alive, and it's a government wellfare program for wealthy landowners. It takes more oil to make a gallon of ethanol than it does to make a gallon of gasoline.

But it's more than just a fraud and a boondoggle-- it's an environmental nightmare that will lead to deforestation and food shortages...