Biorefinery

[Shuckins]

Some interesting news in a local paper today.  

According to an article in the McGehee-Dermott Times-News the Potlatch Paper Mill at Cypress Bend in Desha County may soon begin construction on the country's first full-scale biorefinery.

The refinery could cost as much as 150 million dollars to construct.  Jack Gleason, acting administrator of USDA Cooperative Business Programs and Harry Seamans, Vice-President of the Potlatch division, bull biomass production across the country could generate as much as 30% of the energy needs of the nation...about as much as the amount purchased from the Middle East.

more information here:
http://www.nrel.gov/biomass/biorefinery.html
and
http://www.anl.gov/Media_Center/News?2005/news050628.html

Seems like the answer to a lot of problems.  Anybody have any information or opinions you want to contribute?


Regards, Shuckins

[lazs2]

well... that is gonna piss off the doom and gloomers..

lazs

[indy007]

I thought Biorefineries already existed. Dow has plants in Kansas where they've developed bacterial that eat sugar and excrete plastic as their waste. The cost per unit for production levels was rapidly falling, and this was 3 or 4 years ago. They were feeding sucrose extracted from locally grown corn into big vats with the engineering bacteria (who have an exceptionally high.. iirc 60%+). The plastic "waste" is formed into little balls and shipped off for use in textiles, composite lumber, etc, etc.

oh lol, nm. I should actually read the articles... didn't realised the crap was going in, not getting taken out.

[mora]

Jack Gleason, acting administrator of USDA Cooperative Business Programs and Harry Seamans, Vice-President of the Potlatch division, bull biomass production across the country could generate as much as 30% of the energy needs of the nation...about as much as the amount purchased from the Middle East.[/B]

What a surprise...