Mascoma Corp. (Cambridge, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6892-541) has received a $14.8-million award from the New York State Dept. of Agriculture and Markets and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to build and operate a biomass-to-ethanol demonstration plant in Rochester, N.Y. The project, which includes participation and support from International Paper Co., Cornell and Clarkson Universities, the National Resources and Defense Council and Genencor, will focus on demonstrating cellulose-to-ethanol technology (CE, December 2006, p. 13) and industrial processes. Pending local permit approvals and defining agreements among the relevant parties, Mascoma estimates it will take 10–12 months to construct the pilot plant and begin operations.
Cellulosic bioethanol
| By Chemical Engineering