A panel discussion at the ACE Ethanol Conference, “Cellulosic Ethanol: When Can it Meet the RFS?”, gathered industry leaders focused on the advancement of cellulosic ethanol.
ICM, Inc. Director of Research and Development Doug Rivers said that the integration of grain-based and cellulose-based ethanol production is essential. Rivers suggested that the industry must leverage existing operations and pursue feedstocks with high yield (8-20 tons/acre) and high carbohydrate content, ideally gathered from a 50-mile radius. He points out that we can expect significant developments in this industry in the next five years.
Jeff Passmore of Iogen Corporation pointed out that the successful production of cellulosic ethanol is currently taking place at demonstration plants and pilot projects across the country, but the trick is to scale that up to commercialization. He pointed out that players in the renewable energy field must successfully launch one billion gallons of commercial cellulosic ethanol and then work on fortifying a toolbox that includes tax, policy, and infrastructure components. Passmore emphasized that we’re going to have to be innovative to get policies launched and act quickly to realize the goals of the RFS.
Jim Imbler, CEO and President of Zeachem, Inc., stressed that flexibility is key for this industry to grow. You’ve got to have the ability to use flexible feedstock, he said, and focus on a cost-effective process that can scale up to large production.