Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Governor Culver Announces $80 Million in Federal Funds for Emmetsburg Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
(Des Moines) Today, Governor Chet Culver announces that the Broin Company cellulosic ethanol plan in Emmetsburg has been chosen to receive up to $80 million in federal funding. The Emmetsburg plant was chosen as one of six ethanol plants to receive up to $385 million in federal funding.
“This is a great day for Emmetsburg, and a great day for the state of Iowa,” said Governor Culver. “Today’s announcement means new jobs and greater opportunities for northern Iowa and proves once again that Iowa is poised to lead the world in renewable energy. As Governor, I am fully committed to Iowa becoming the first state in the country to be independent from of foreign oil, and I believe the Broin plant in Emmetsburg is exactly the type of project that should receive federal funds.”
The Broin Facility in Emmetsburg (Palo Alto County), Iowa will produce 125 million gallons of ethanol per year, of which roughly 25 percent will be cellulosic ethanol following the planned expansion. For feedstock in the production of cellulosic ethanol, the plant expects to use 842 tons per day of corn fiber, cobs, and stalks.
According to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman, “These biorefineries will play a critical role in helping to bring cellulosic ethanol to market, and teaching us how we can produce it in a more cost effective manner. Ultimately, success in producing inexpensive cellulosic ethanol could be a key to eliminating our nation’s addiction to oil.”
In addition to the Broin Facility in Emmetsburg, plants in Kansas, Florida, California, Idaho, and Georgia received grants from the Department of Energy.
Cellulosic ethanol is an alternative fuel made from a wide variety of non-food plant materials (or feedstocks), including agricultural wastes such as corn stover and cereal straws, industrial plant waste like saw dust and paper pulp, and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production like switchgrass. By using a variety of regional feedstocks for refining cellulosic ethanol, the fuel can be produced in nearly every region of the country. Though it requires a more complex refining process, cellulosic ethanol contains more net energy and results in lower greenhouse emissions than traditional corn-based ethanol.