Biotech Updates

Ethanol Production from Orchard Waste

August 16, 2017
http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/12742/aemetis_produces_cellulosic_ethanol_from_orchard_waste/

California-based biorefining company Aemetis has started producing bioethanol from orchard waste. The company announced this after successfully completing the construction of an integrated demonstration unit. The company said it produced the material from technologies from itself, LanzaTech and InEnTec.

The demo plant, located at InEnTec's Technology Center in Richland, Washington, is processing various feedstocks such as waste orchard wood and nutshells from California's Central Valley into cellulosic ethanol. California has more than one million acres of almond, walnut, and pistachio trees that currently produce over 1.6 million tons of waste wood and shells per year.

Yields and other data from the operation of the demonstration unit will be provided to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of completing the Phase II loan guarantee process under the USDA 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program.