Massachusetts-based company Mascoma will build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Michigan in its race to be the first in the nation to produce ethanol from wood on a commercial scale. The cellulosic plant will make ethanol mainly from wood chips and other non-food agricultural crops. Because cellulosic ethanol production uses non-food agricultural feedstock, it is critical to producing ethanol on a scale that could substitute for imported oil.
Mascoma Corporation is a low-carbon cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol company with corporate offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a R & D facilities in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Mascoma has developed an enzymatic process. It is continuing to develop advanced technologies in its own laboratory with Professor Lee Lynd at Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering by licensing “best in class” microorganisms and enzymes, and with other sponsored research around the world. It is also developing demonstration and commercial scale production facilities in several locations.
Mascoma’s R&D is focused on reducing the biologically mediated steps in ethanol production to a single step. Mascoma is developing organisms that will:
- Rapid break down the components of biomass
- Convert a range of sugars and polymers of sugars to ethanol
- Thrive in a manufacturing environment
- Produce ethanol with minimal by-products
Mascoma chose Michigan for the new plant based on the abundance of forestry and agricultural materials and the expertise found at Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University who will partner with Mascoma on the project to develop and hone scientific processes and Michigan feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol production.
Michigan State will provide expertise in areas including pretreatment technology for cellulosic ethanol production and assistance with energy crops that can be utilized by the biorefinery. Michigan Tech will provide expertise through its “Wood to Wheels” initiative. This includes optimization of forestry feedstock materials for energy use, knowledge of sustainable forestry management practices, and access to its automotive engineering laboratories for analysis of the biofuels produced at the project site.
Earlier this year, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and NextEnergy, Michigan’s alternative energy accelerator located in Detroit, established a cellulosic biofuels working group to help craft strategy for the promotion of this industry in Michigan. They identified and targeted Mascoma as the lead company to partner with in generating renewable fuels from Michigan’s forestry resources. The MEDC and NextEnergy believe the partnership with Mascoma will dramatically advance Michigan as a national leader in the next generation of renewable fuels.
The MEDC is currently helping Mascoma identify a plant site within the state that will be strategically located to provide ready access to the feedstock needed each day for production. The full value of state incentives offered to Mascoma is contingent on the final site selection. Mascoma anticipates investing up to $150 million in the facility, which is expected to employ 20 to 40 full-time employees and to create more than 100 construction jobs, up to 300 forestry jobs, another 150-200 transportation and maintenance jobs.
Initial funding of $4MM in early 2006 was received from Khosla Ventures and Flagship Ventures, with subsequent funding of $30MM in venture capital equity funding and a $14.8MM grant from NY State for the establishment of a demonstration plant.
Maine has the largest supply of biomass in New England.
It also has the most hostile business climate and daunting environmental and regulatory $$$ hurdles to jump over.
As a result, I have been unable to attract one of the cellulosic ethanol bio-tech firms to locate here, despite offers of almost unlimited free feedstock.
Maine's loss is Michigan's gain!
my best to Khosla in Michigan!
Posted by: frank j. heller | July 21, 2007 at 09:32 AM
That is a terrible mindset. Its not that Maine's loss is Michigan's gain. If we want to truly solve the energy problems in our country, we need to move beyond that competitive capitalistic mindset.
Maine has a split economy- most of the money that comes into the state is either from out of state tourists who come to see Maine's natural beauty, and they other major source is industries like pulp and paper, that have a devastating affect on the surrounding areas. The people of Maine are extremely susceptible to being taken advantage of by out of state companies, as being evidenced by Plum Creek buying land around Moosehead Lake for logging for dirt cheap, and then attempting to develop it into condos- a complete violation of the original contract.
Maine doesn't want to see their incredibly valuable forests be cut down just to make a quick dollar. When the industry proves that it can be sustainable and use wastes as feedstocks, the people of Maine will be open to the idea of Maine becoming a producer.
Posted by: Emc | February 14, 2008 at 01:33 PM
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Posted by: Bob Bokros | April 30, 2008 at 03:49 PM
GO SOLAR AND GO BIG!
The US is poised to lead the world in production of renewable energy and in the manufacture of the equipment required to harvest this energy on home roof tops. This can be the basis of a new manufacturing economy. This should be a proud national goal on the scale of Kennedy's moonshot initiative of the 1960's. Now is the time to invest in solar energy in a grand, bold and urgent way.
Net metering of consumer-generated clean electricity is the key that will allow market forces to drive these goals to fruition. This month, Michigan's legislature passed an energy law that mocks net metering with a complex scheme that halves the value of customers' excess generation at the end of every month. Solar rooftops are a great investment only if the excess from sunny months is applied, at full value, during cloudy months. Michigan's new law dubs the planned monthly gouging "True Net Metering". It is not net metering and it is not true - it is intentionally misleading in its details. The utility's participation in this scheme is also limited to just one percent of their peak generation. That's not the bold initiative we need to build a vibrant new manufacturing economy, solve global warming and win friends around the world.
It galls me that our Michigan Public Service Commission touted this new law as a victory for renewable energy as they parroted the phrase "True Net Metering" at the public hearings in Ann Arbor on Monday (Oct 13,2008). No friend of renewable energy should be satisfied with this new energy law which has been carefully crafted to propagate the status quo in energy profiteering.
Posted by: Michael Flynn | October 14, 2008 at 12:46 PM