Development of a 4 million gallon per year (mmgy) cellulosic ethanol production facility located in Moses Lake, Washington - an area with a large availability of wheat straw biomass. The project is attractive as the initial cellulosic facility because:
- Over $15 million of existing ethanol components and equipment in the project
- Initial design work for the project has already been completed
- Permits for the ethanol production are completed
- Low cost to complete as an advanced biofuels production facility
The Company has filed a US Department of Energy grant application for the necessary funds to complete the project, and is in the process of applying for both a grant and low interest loan from the Recover Act allocation given to the State of Washington.
This small-scale facility has the potential to be completed and come online in as little as seven months from the start of construction. Plans call for later expansion of the facility for up to 18 mmgy production capacity. The Moses Lake project is intended to prove up the chemistry and engineering that will be applied to the Bastrop project outlined below.