Cellulosic ethanol plant starts in Kansas

Oct. 17, 2014
Abengoa, Seville, Spain, has begun producing cellulosic ethanol, required for blending into gasoline, at a 25-million-gal/year plant at Hugoton, Kan.

Abengoa, Seville, Spain, has begun producing cellulosic ethanol, required for blending into gasoline, at a 25-million-gal/year plant at Hugoton, Kan.

The plant is the second cellulosic ethanol facility to start up recently. POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels LLC, Sioux Falls, SD, started a plant with equivalent capacity in Emmetsburg, Iowa, early in September.

At full capacity, the Abengoa plant will convert 1,000 tons/day of biomass into ethanol and use residual biomass solids to generate 21 Mw of electricity for its own use and local sales.

The company said it expects most of the biomass to come from within 50 miles of the plant, 80% of it composed of irrigated corn stover with the rest wheat straw, milo stubble, and switchgrass.

Abengoa received a $132.4 million loan guarantee and a $97 million grant through the US Department of Energy to support construction of the facility.

Federal law mandates sales of cellulosic ethanol, receives a tax credit up to $1.01/gal, by refiners and importers.

Because the industry has developed below congressional projections, the US Environmental Protection Agency sets requirements below the statutory target, which this year is 1.75 billion gal of ethanol equivalent.

EPA hasn’t finalized volumetric requirements for this year.