posted October 14, 2008
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tn., a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, for the new pilot cellulosic ethanol biorefinery and research development facility being built at the Niles Ferry Industrial Park in Vonore, Tn.
The facility, made possible through a partnership between University of Tennessee Research Foundation and DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol (DDCE), will begin producing ethanol by the end of 2009. Construction funds for the project will come from the state of Tennessee and an investment from DDCE.
Sen. Corker said, "Today's groundbreaking is another step in our efforts to expand our domestic energy supplies and further solidifies Tennessee's leading role in the development of cellulosic ethanol. This project also shows a marriage of innovative forces in Tennessee's educational, scientific, agricultural and business communities that are working towards making our country more energy secure while creating jobs and growing the economy of our state. To solve our country's energy crisis we need to produce more energy here at home."
Sen. Alexander, R-Tn., said, "This biorefinery will keep Tennessee on the cutting edge of new transportation fuels and put America one step closer toward gaining clean energy independence. Supporting emerging technologies like this will help decrease our dependence on oil from foreign countries that are trying to kill us by bankrolling terrorists. Cellulosic ethanol shifts the focus to making fuel from crops we eat to crops we don't eat, such as switchgrass which could grow all across our state. I thank Governor Bredesen for his continued leadership in making Tennessee a leader in clean energy technology."
This partnership draws on UT's expertise in cellulosic feedstock production and its work with Tennessee farmers to grow switchgrass as a dedicated cellulosic energy crop. The biorefinery will have the flexibility to process ethanol from two feedstocks: corn stover, cobs and fiber; and switchgrass, when the first crops are mature. The expected capacity is 250,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually.
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