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Prospects and technological advancement of cellulosic bioethanol ecofuel production 223

8.5.3 Bioethanol plants at the pilot and demonstration stage

The majority of the second-generation ethanol plants currently in operation are in the
pilot or demonstration phase. The United States, Canada, and China are the leading
countries that have built more than three-fourths of the total pilot or
demonstration-scale bioethanol plants. The pilot or demonstration-scale bioethanol
plants currently in full operation are listed in Table 8.3. Although the majority of
the plants are using fermentation technology, a few of them produce ethanol based
on gasification technology. A summary of some plants is briefly described below.

Table 8.3 Pilot/demonstration scale bioethanol plants in operation [54, 56]

Project owner Capacity
(startup year) Location Feed material Technology (t/y)
Pilot-scale plant
Aemetis (2008) Butte, United Switchgrass, Fermentation 500
States grass seed, grass
straw and corn
stalks
Energy and Shanghai, Crop and Fermentation 600
Chemical China forestry residues
Department of
East China
University of
Science and
Technology
(2005)
Enerkem (2003) Sherbrooke, Municipal solid Gasification 375
Canada waste, wood
chips, sludge,
petroleum coke,
plastics and
wheat straw
Greenfield Chatham, Lignocellulosics Fermentation 30
Ethanol (2010) Canada
Iowa State Boone, United Lignocellulosics Fermentation 200
University States
(2009)
Lignol (2009) Vancouver, Sugarcane Fermentation 30
Canada bagasse
Lignol Burnaby, Hardwood and Fermentation 30
Innovations Ltd. Canada softwood
(2009) residues
Lignol (2009) Grand Woody biomass Fermentation 60
Junction,
United States
NREL (2011) Golden, Lignocellulosics Fermentation 100
United States
Continued