Mascoma gets money for cellulosic ethanol demo

Mascoma, a company working on cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol breakthroughs, has received $14.8M USD to build and operate a biomass-to-ethanol demonstration plant in Rochester, New York.

The money comes from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and is pending local permit approvals and definitive agreements among the relevant parties.

The project is to focus on demonstrating cellulose to ethanol technology and industrial processes. International Paper Co., Cornell University, Genencor, Clarkson University and the Natural Resources Defense Council are to join Mascoma as part of a consortium supporting the project.

The facility is expected to operate using a number of New York State agricultural and/or forest products as biomass, including paper sludge, wood chips, switch grass and corn stover.

It's expected to take 10-12 months to construct the pilot plant and begin operations.

Mascoma was founded in 2005 by biomass industry pioneers Drs. Lee R. Lynd and Charles Wyman of Dartmouth College. With financial backing of $39M from a syndicate of leading venture capital firms led by founding investor Khosla Ventures, Mascoma plans to build, operate and manage a 15,000 square foot facility in New York State to complete testing of multiple feedstocks and technologies for biomass ethanol.

As the enzyme partner for the project, Genencor expects to supply enzymes to the project as well as work with Mascoma to continue to improve its advanced enzyme products.

Mascoma Corporation is a cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol company with corporate offices in Cambridge, MA, and R&D labs in Lebanon, NH.

The company is working on a new process to break down feedstocks and ferment them at the same time - eliminating the need to purchase separate enzymes and different types of equipment.

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