Press releases
INEOS Bio JV Selected for $50 Million U.S. Department of Energy Grant for Commercial BioEnergy Facility
December 4th 2009INEOS Bio JV Selected for $50 Million U.S. Department of Energy Grant for Commercial BioEnergy Facility - Construction expected to begin in 2Q 2010 - Commercial-scale facility will be operational by late 2011
Lisle, IL - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced it has selected INEOS
Bio and its partner, New Planet Energy, for a $50 million dollar grant for its advanced
bioenergy facility in Indian River County, Florida. The grant was announced jointly by DOE
Secretary Steven Chu and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The facility will be the first to use
INEOS Bio’s advanced BioEnergy technology, the world’s leading feedstock flexible
technology for production of both bioethanol and renewable power.
The INEOS New Planet BioEnergy Joint Venture will own and operate the commercial facility.
It will produce eight million gallons of third generation bioethanol per year from renewable
biomass including yard, wood and vegetative wastes. The facility will also generate clean
renewable power for export to the Florida market. This investment will bring clean tech
employment to the Treasure Coast region of Florida, creating approximately 120 construction
jobs over the next two years and 40-50 full time jobs.
In commenting on the grant, INEOS Bio CEO Peter Williams highlighted the benefits of the
INEOS Bio technology: “This breakthrough technology will substantially reduce net
greenhouse gas emissions from cars and energy generation. Not only does it reduce
the amount of waste going to landfills, but it also breaks the link between food crops
and bioethanol production. The ability to make fuel from agricultural waste and
municipal solid waste opens up a whole new avenue to achieving sustainable energy
independence.” Added Williams, “We appreciate the continued support of the DOE as
we commercialize this world-class technology in the U.S.”
Commenting on the announcement, W.L. “Tex” Carter, President of New Planet Energy, said:
“We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Energy for its endorsement of this worldchanging
technology. We intend to move forward to achieve full commercial
production at the facility by late 2011.”
The INEOS Bio process is an efficient, affordable and flexible conversion technology. At the
heart of the INEOS Bio technology is a patented anaerobic fermentation step, through which
naturally occurring bacteria convert gases derived directly from biomass into bio-ethanol. The
process supports high recycling and high landfill diversion rates. Unlike other technologies
that rely on one primary source of feedstock, the INEOS Bio process can produce bioenergy
from numerous feedstocks, including forestry waste, agricultural waste, sustainable energy
crops, construction waste and municipal solid waste. This feedstock flexibility allows facilities
to be built anywhere that a renewable biomass feedstock is available, providing good jobs
and locally sourced energy for urban as well as rural communities.
Notes to Editors
INEOS Bio is a BioEnergy company working to commercialize and license a highly
innovative thermo-chemical and bio-chemical technology for the production of renewable
biofuels and renewable power from a wide range of low-cost carbon materials. Its initial
focus is the commercialization of the world’s leading third generation bioethanol technology
process to serve the global renewable transport fuels market and the renewable energy
market. For more information, visit www.ineosbio.com
INEOS Bio is one of the global businesses in INEOS. INEOS is the world’s third largest
chemicals company and a leading manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals,
biofuels, and oil products. Comprising 17 businesses, with a production network spanning 64
manufacturing facilities in 14 countries, the company produces more than 30 million tons of
petrochemicals, and 20 million tons per annum of crude oil refined products (fuels). INEOS
employs 15,500 people and has sales of around $47 Billion. For more information visit
www.ineos.com
New Planet Energy LLC is engaged in the development and implementation of advanced
biofuels and energy projects. For more information, visit www.newplanetenergy.com
Contacts:
INEOS Bio
Dan Cummings
Business Manager – Americas
(630) 857-7165
biopress@ineos.com
New Planet Energy, LLC
W.L. “Tex” Carter
President,
(321) 368-2044