Mascoma building cellulosic plant in Michigan

Cellulosic ethanol developer Mascoma has revealed it is building a production facility in Michigan.

The Massachusetts-based company had previously pursued a demonstration plant in New York, and had considered building production plants in New York, Pennsylvania and other unnamed New England states last fall (see Mascoma partnering on cellulosic ethanol facilities.)

But yesterday, in a press event with Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Mascoma CEO Bruce Jamerson announced that a recent $50 million federal grant Michigan State University received in June to study biofuels was influential in the company's decision.

"It tells us there's going to be continuous support for professors, students and research that we can tap into," Jamerson said.

"It was absolutely a factor in our coming here," he said.

Jamerson estimated the new plant plan could produce 150 gallons of ethanol out of a cord of wood, or 128 cubic feet, and the total investment for the plant will be $100 million.

Mascoma has developed an enzymatic process. Other companies—such as Verenium (formerly Celunol), Abengoa, Poet (formerly Broin), DuPont, and Iogen—are also using pretreated enzymatic hydrolysis processes (for more information on who's where in the cellulosic landscape, see the Cleantech Group's Cellulosic myths busted.)

While Michigan is known for its high-quality hardwood, the state has other tree species of a lower quality that can be turned into biomass for fuel.

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