BioFuels Journal

By M.D. Brading, Biofuels Journal Associate Editor

With the Nov. 29 announcement of a site development relationship with Tamarack Energy, and joint-site investigations underway to build its first production plant in New York, Mascoma Corporation is one step closer to converting wood chips to ethanol for commercial production.

The Cambridge, MA-based start-up is also looking at sites in Pennsylvania and New England where quality feedstock is readily available to add more production facilities at a later date.

Earlier in November, Mascoma raised $30 million in B round funding for its research efforts, with prominent investors including Khosla Ventures showing great interest in the company’s potential.

During an interview with Biofuels Journal, Mascoma President Colin South (above) describes the company’s basic philosophy. “It is the development and deployment of technology necessary to produce cellulose ethanol cost effectively,” he says. “We are at a new and exciting phase.”

Mascoma is on the verge of breakthrough development of organisms and bacteria, as well as efficient production technology, to produce cellulosic ethanol, says South.

“Our scientific research can change the way ethanol is produced,” explains South. “Cellulose as feedstock is the future of commercial production of ethanol.”

While corn remains the feedstock of choice for many ethanol producers, cellulose advocates predict that cellulose biomass such as switchgrass, forest and agriculture waste material, and non-edible plant material can replace the crop as a less energy-consuming and inexpensive feedstock.

“Cellulose feedstock is a resource that is cheap and readily available,” explains South.

Mascoma has designed a pilot and demonstration plant for testing and refining current and future technologies.

This initial facility will be capable of producing 0.5 to 2 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Mascoma also has designed an initial commercial plant to produce between 5 to 20 millions of ethanol per year.

The company is also exploring locations for this first commercial plant, which is targeted to begin construction in 2007.

South says Mascoma scaled up experiments to convert wood and grass into ethanol by striking a partnership with Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering.

Mascoma’s co-founder and chief scientific officer Dr. Lee Lynd currently leads a large research group at the school to continue the development of organisms by using several of Dartmouth’s patents in cellulose to ethanol conversion.

“The technology to convert cellulose into ethanol has existed for many years,” South says, “but the high cost of conversion has deterred many producers from pursuing the technology.”

“We have developed ways that could be viable to convert cellulose feedstock to produce ethanol for commercialization,” he adds.

For more information, contact Larry Bouchie, KMC Partners Public Relations, at 617-758-4192 or call Mascoma at 617-234-0099.

See Related Websites/Articles:

• Mascoma Corporation
• Tamarack Energy

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