Assessment of Conversion Technologies for Bioalcohol Fuel ...

agasse, and hard wood chips. Soft wood is not considered compatible with the
process. Feedstock with at least 60 percent carbohydrate content is said to be
required for Iogen’s process.
Iogen claims to have completed analyses of its process energy balance and of criteria
that include air pollutant emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, and wastewater
effluents and solid wastes; however the results are maintained as confidential
information. The company does indicate that ethanol produced by its process results in
more than an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to
gasoline. Production cost estimates and other economic analysis of Iogen’s
technology is also confidential.
Development Status–Iogen and its partners and sponsors have reportedly invested
some $135 million in its biomass-to-ethanol process development to date, including
about $18 million of Canadian Government funding. Following laboratory and benchscale
testing, a one ton-per-day pilot plant was initially operated beginning in 1983.
The current demonstration-scale (or “semi-works”) facility, which produced its first
cellulosic ethanol in April 2004, was built at a reported cost of $45 million. This facility
is capable of processing about 30 tons of dry wheat straw per day and producing
about 2.5 million liters of ethanol per year (63 gallons/dry ton). The Canadian
Government announced in February 2007 that it would contribute an additional $7.7
million toward a $25.8 million project to upgrade this facility.
Future Development Plans–Iogen and its partners have been exploring potential
plans in a number of Canadian provinces, U.S. states and other countries for a
commercial-scale (or “commercial prototype”) biomass-to-ethanol facility employing its
process. Factors considered in site selection include: availability and cost of
feedstock; quality of existing local infrastructure; magnitude and timeframe of
government policy commitment; and ability to conclude all necessary commercial
agreements. Based on these factors, the company has announced a narrowing of
locations for this first project to include North Central Saskatchewan, East Central
Alberta, Eastern Germany and Southeast Idaho.
Following the 2007 U.S. DOE grant award, the Idaho project now appears to have the
best prospects, although funding plans for this facility are apparently still to be
finalized. Total cost to configure and construct the plant and associated facilities is
said to be up to $350 million (U.S.). This facility, planned for a site at Shelley, Idaho,
would process 700 dry tons per day of agricultural residues–said to include wheat
straw, barley straw, corn stover, switchgrass and rice straw -- producing about 18
million gallons of ethanol per year (71 gallons/dry ton). Final announcement of the
project and initiation of construction is expected before the end of 2007.
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