Ethanol (E3) Production Demonstration

The worlds first commercial production of cellulosic bioethanol began on January 16, 2007 at a company established for the mass production of ethanol from waste wood biomass. Raw materials include construction wood scraps, sawdust, pruned twigs and other cellulose waste. The plant has an annual production capacity of 1,400 kiloliters of ethanol fuel from 48,000 tons of construction wood scraps. The wood scraps are crushed into chips by machines capable of processing 180 tons a day, before being used as ethanol feedstock or fuel for the plants power generator (1900 kW). Wood residues from the chemical decomposition process are molded into lignin pellets, which feed the plants boilers or are shipped as biomass fuel. The Ministry of the Environment regards this facility as a foundation for domestic bioethanol production, and plans to use the produced ethanol in a scheme to demonstrate the large-scale supply of E3 (gasoline containing 3% ethanol) in large cities. This is part of the Ministrys strategy to accelerate the use of bioethanol, a policy priority for 2007. When used in E3, 1,400 kiloliters of ethanol could yield about 47,000 kiloliters of E3 automobile fuel.

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