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Todd Neeley DTN Staff Reporter

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Wednesday 03/10/10

DOE Hires Company to Watch Biomass Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy signed a five-year, $21 million contract with R.W. Beck subsidiary, McLean-based Science Applications International Corp., to watch progress being made on DOE-funded biomass projects, according to the Washington Business Journal in Arlington, Va.

DOE has provided 18 grants to help in the design, construction and operation of ethanol biorefinery pilot and demonstration projects.

R.W. Beck will serve as DOE's independent engineer on the projects, providing program management, technical and financial due diligence, and construction and operations monitoring expertise.

(Washington Business Journal, March 9, 2010)

(http://washington.bizjournals.com/…)

DTN: The DOE's move here probably will ease at least some criticism coming from critics. Some critics have said the federal government has invested millions of dollars in other similar projects without a payback. Most notably cellulosic ethanol development has been slow to materialize, although the U.S. government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in grants. (Todd Neeley)

Posted at 10:05AM CST 03/10/10 by Todd Neeley

Comments (3)

Really can't be any worse then all the billions the government has wasted on other things , bail outs etc. Where's those watch dog groups? The cellulosic part of this post,I agree with they have spent alot on grants and have had few results, I think these plants are a long ways out, their contribution towards ethanol production will be limited. With the high production cost and up and down margins, it seems like pumping money into cellulosic ethanol is a long shot. Lets get the E 15 ruling a go ahead, get the plants that are out there on sustainable margins, and go from their. The road is long, lets see where it leads, before branching off and falling off a cliff.

Posted by GWL 61 at 9:01AM CST 03/11/10

I very much agree with the first comment with respect to E15 but in at least one company's case celulosic ethanol is not that far out. Verenium partnered with BP has had a demonstration level plant running for some time now. They have land in Florida and a agro business partner to grow the crops (Lykes Bros) All they need is the loans to build the plant (about 300 million). They have said they could have it up in running in 2011.

Posted by Earl Retherford at 10:14AM CST 03/11/10

That BP/Verenium project is supposed to produce only 30 mgy for $300 million invested. At that rate the industry needs to find idiots willing to donate (not loan, there is no way this plant will ever be profitable) $1.5-2 trillion to satisfy the 2022 RFS. Also, why does BP need a $300 million loan? They have billions in the bank. Answer - they want an outside party to take the risk. If they really believed in this project they would simply build it.

Posted by THOMAS ELAM at 9:24AM CST 03/12/10

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	July2010
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1 Construction Begins on $25 Million UK Facility for Bioenergy Research European Demand Seen Powering Africa Biofuels Growth U.S. Ethanol Output Down During April SD Gov. Rounds Critical of EPA Delay on Ethanol Ahead of Energy Debate, NCGA Stresses Now is the Time for Ethanol	2 Two Win Fuel in Fourth of July Promotion Oklahome Gas Station Back to Non-Ethanol NCSU Researchers Increase Biofuel Production Effiency Green Process for Fuel Additive Could Help Ethanol Production USDA Produces Short Video on Ethanol, E85	3
4	5	6 Column: 'Ethanol Industry Wants Same Rubber Stamp BP Got' Second-Generation Biofuels Require Grower Education Poet Plans big Investment in Indiana Ethanol Plant What's Worse, Gulf 'Dead Zone' or BP Spill?	7 EPA Said More Work to be Done on E15 Blog: 'New USDA Report Gives Corn Ethanol Benefit of Energy Doubt' Food-Versus-Fuel Critics may be far off Mark Sunoco Began Operations at Upstate New York Ethanol Plant Fiberight to Build Cellulosic Ethanol Demo Plant 1 more...	8 China: 'Fuel Ethanol Production Threatens Food Security' South Dakota Democrats rap State Government on Ethanol Use Iowa Gov. Culver Credits 'bio' Jobs with Buoying Economy Clearfield Ethanol Plant: 'Oil Company Violated Deal'	9 Top Garbage man Explores Renewable Energy Potential Report Calls for More Energy Production in North Dakota Bioenergy Company Wins State Jobs Grant Creditor Continues to pay City Officials to Maintain Water Supply to Kansas Ethanol Plant Denmark's Inbicon Starts Cellulosic Ethanol Production	10
11	12 Aventine Races to Finish Ethanol Plant Racecars run Faster, Cleaner on Ethanol Study Finds Lowland Switchgrass Varieties Outperform Upland New Mobile Biofuels Processor Developed University of Toledo Receives Grant to Study Algae Biofuels 4 more...	13 EPA Considers Slash in Mandate for Cellulosic Ethanol Didion Ethanol to Help Water Quality as Part of Agreement Archer Daniels Midland Inaugurates Nebraska Ethanol Plant Proposed Wisconsin Ethanol Plant Plan Stalls Oakfield Capital Acquires Biofuel Company from BP	14 Group Pushes for E100 Ethanol Exports Down 58 Percent in May Ethanol tax Break may Ride on US Energy Bill Pacific Ethanol Shares Take Hit Ethanol from Waste Means big Dollars 1 more...	15 Greene: 'CBO Report Shows Folly of Corn Ethanol tax Credit' Ethanol Group Backs Phase out of Blenders Credit Ethanol Blamed for Toro Snow Blowers Recall Blog: 'They Need an app for Zero-Ethanol Fuel'	16 Cellulosic Ethanol Industry: BP's Verenium Acquisition a 'Good Move' Ethanol Industry Scrambles to Keep Incentives EPA Still Betting on Cello Energy to Meet Next-gen Biofuel Target Novozymes, Dedini to Produce Cellulosic Ethanol in Brazil	17
18	19 SDSU Researcher Studying Reuse of Ethanol Enzymes Huge Ethanol Refinery Opens in Denmark DOE: Ethanol Blend Wall to Hurt Corn Prices Pipeline Project Gets Boost Livestock, Poultry Sectors Call for End of Ethanol Subsidies	20 BP Acquires Verenium's Cellulosic Biofuels Platform Danisco Sues Novozymes in London Court Over Enzyme Patent U.S. Automakers on Track for More Ethanol Vehicles Study Shows Ethanol Production, Corn Demand Will Grow With or Without Subsidy and Tariff	21 Ethanol Production Restarts at Sunoco Plant Tanzania Expert: Cassava Can Help Beat Poverty Green Plains, BioProcess Algae to Expand Algae Project WSU Works on a Better Jet Fuel House Committee Weighs Cut of 20 Percent in Ethanol Subsidy	22 Dire Warning Issued for Loss of Ethanol Subsidy State Senate Candidates in Minnesota Oppose Ethanol Subsidy Arizona Sees Increase in Ethanol Fuel Violations Ethanol Elevates Kinder Morgan's Second Quarter	23 Ethanol Opponents Form Coalition to Oppose E15 Oil Spill Puts Target on BP's Back FAO Warns Against Jatropha Biofuels Hype Commercial Airlines Hope to get 1 Percent of Fuel from Biofuels by 2015 Glacial Lakes Energy Adds Corn Receiving Station 1 more...	24
25	26 Wall Street Journal: 'Survival of the Fattest' Report: 'Ethanol Pumps $2.5 Billion into Minnesota Economy' Oil Spill Boosts Alabama Ethanol Sales Philippines to Allow Ethanol Imports Biofuels to Help Clean up Chernobyl Land 1 more...	27 Ethanol, Agriculture Groups Push for E12 Has VEETC Really Helped Ethanol Industry? The Economics of US Ethanol Policy Biomass Innovation Park set for Construction Biofuels Firm Raises $110 Million for Biomass Crude Technology	28 Zimbabwe Government to Allow Private Investment in Energy Sector EU Shows Growth in Ethanol Production, Use Blender Pumps Get UL Certified Green Car Passes Test at NSS Groups Rally to Fight Against E15	29 Isolux Corsan: Contract for Colombia Biofuel Facility New Tool for Improving Switchgrass Novomer Awarded $18.4M in Federal Stimulus Funds Alfalfa Joins Feedstock Choices for Ethanol Agriculture to Benefit from E15	30	31

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