In his State of the Union address, President Bush called for mandatory fuel standards that require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels be used by 2017. Corn ethanol, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, advanced biofuels including biobutanol, and biodiesel are expected to provide a significant percentage of US energy requirements. To help farmers and other stakeholders meet the biofuels challenge, DuPont has been investing in a three-part strategy that aims to: 1) improve existing ethanol production through differentiated agriculture seed products and crop protection chemicals; 2) develop and supply new technologies to allow conversion of cellulose to biofuels; and 3) develop and supply next-generation biofuels with improved performance.

To accomplish its agenda, DuPont has partnered with the United States Department of Energy in developing a cost-effective technology package to produce cellulosic ethanol from entire corn plants. The program is developing the value drivers to economically convert cellulose to sugar and allow for the volumes needed to meet the demands of the biofuels market. The company also announced last year a joint venture with the BP company that will bring biobutanol to the market. Biobutanol has low vapor pressure and tolerance to water contamination in gasoline blends, facilitating its use in existing gasoline supply and distribution channels.

Read the press release at http://pioneer.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=228..