ZeaChem set for USD-4.6m grant from California Energy Commission

Oct 18, 2012 - US ZeaChem Inc today said it had been selected for a proposed award of USD 4.6 million (EUR 3.5m) from the California Energy Commission to help it scale up its C3 (three-carbon atom) product platform for the making of advanced biofuel.

The Energy Commission will consider the award at a future business meeting, the cellulosic biorefinery developer said.

The funding is for the development of a pilot plant at the company's research and development facility in Menlo Park, California that will produce drop-in bio-based gasoline from woody biomass and agricultural residues. It will also pay for a commercial feasibility study, involving analysis of advanced fuels acceptance in the market and of the local supply chain for a possible commercial-scale biorefinery in Northern California.

ZeaChem operates a demonstration biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon, where it is deploying its C2 (two-carbon atom) platform for the production of cellulose-based acetic acid, ethyl acetate, ethanol, jet fuel and diesel. The company's first commercial biorefinery is currently under development. ZeaChem says that the C3 platform is the next product portfolio it is scaling up as it seeks to diversify its offering for the fuel and chemical markets.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.763)

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