Ohio's First Ethanol Plant
Since I know a number of you out there are interested in energy conservation and sustainable energy, here's a recent article from the Toledo Blade announcing the opening of Ohio's first bioethanol plant.
"Ohio opens ethanol era with $105 million refinery in Putnam County
LEIPSIC, Ohio - With a snip from an oversized pair of scissors, Ohio's first large foray into ethanol production officially opened here yesterday in northern Putnam County.
"This is a great day for Ohio," said Gov. Ted Strickland, shortly before joining Poet LLC Chief Executive Jeff Broin in cutting a ribbon to signify completion of the $105 million Poet Biorefining - Leipsic facility.
The plant, with 40 to 45 employees and annual production capacity of 65 million gallons of ethanol, is to begin refining next week. "
more here ........
There's a lot of controversy about ethanol and other so-called biofuels - do they really save energy, do they contribute less to global warming and greenhouse gasses, what are the ethics of taking agricultural land out of food production and putting it into fuel. Today, corn is the big 'feedstock' for ethanol, at least in the US. (In Brazil - the number one ethanol producing country in the world - its sugarcane, but that doesn't grow too well in NE Ohio!) Just look at how the price of corn has risen in the past two years since the federal government mandated - and subsidized - the replacement of petroleum based fuel with 'sustainable' fuels like ethanol - went from around $2 a bushel to almost $4.50 a bushel in two years.
I'm of mixed mind about ethanol and other biofuels. There's lots of interesting new technology in the wings. So-called 'cellulosic' ethanol - the ability to make ethanol from other non-food sources, such as switchgrass, corn stover (what's left over after you get the kernels), and other 'agricultural waste' biomass- is hot right now. People are looking at longer-chain alcohols like butanol, which have higher heat content per unit than ethanol - but the fermentation processes are not as well developed. Companies like Metabolix are working on creating the starting materials for biodegradable plastics from agricultural products - I actually invested a little in this one!
Its probably a good thing that Ohio is jumping on the bandwagon - there will be lots of new science and probably a bubble 'burst' or two along the way for biofuels, but in the longer term, you just have to believe this is going to grow.
"Ohio opens ethanol era with $105 million refinery in Putnam County
LEIPSIC, Ohio - With a snip from an oversized pair of scissors, Ohio's first large foray into ethanol production officially opened here yesterday in northern Putnam County.
"This is a great day for Ohio," said Gov. Ted Strickland, shortly before joining Poet LLC Chief Executive Jeff Broin in cutting a ribbon to signify completion of the $105 million Poet Biorefining - Leipsic facility.
The plant, with 40 to 45 employees and annual production capacity of 65 million gallons of ethanol, is to begin refining next week. "
more here ........
There's a lot of controversy about ethanol and other so-called biofuels - do they really save energy, do they contribute less to global warming and greenhouse gasses, what are the ethics of taking agricultural land out of food production and putting it into fuel. Today, corn is the big 'feedstock' for ethanol, at least in the US. (In Brazil - the number one ethanol producing country in the world - its sugarcane, but that doesn't grow too well in NE Ohio!) Just look at how the price of corn has risen in the past two years since the federal government mandated - and subsidized - the replacement of petroleum based fuel with 'sustainable' fuels like ethanol - went from around $2 a bushel to almost $4.50 a bushel in two years.
I'm of mixed mind about ethanol and other biofuels. There's lots of interesting new technology in the wings. So-called 'cellulosic' ethanol - the ability to make ethanol from other non-food sources, such as switchgrass, corn stover (what's left over after you get the kernels), and other 'agricultural waste' biomass- is hot right now. People are looking at longer-chain alcohols like butanol, which have higher heat content per unit than ethanol - but the fermentation processes are not as well developed. Companies like Metabolix are working on creating the starting materials for biodegradable plastics from agricultural products - I actually invested a little in this one!
Its probably a good thing that Ohio is jumping on the bandwagon - there will be lots of new science and probably a bubble 'burst' or two along the way for biofuels, but in the longer term, you just have to believe this is going to grow.
posted by Carol at 9:57 AM
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