08/19/2008 09:02 AM

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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: September 3, 2008

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Poet, LLC is also building a pilot-scale facility in Scotland, South Dakota, that will convert corn cobs into ethanol using a proprietary process. That facility will start producing ethanol this year, preparing Poet to start construction of a commercial-scale facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa, next year. Partially funded by DOE, the Emmetsburg facility will produce 25 million gallons per year of ethanol from corn fiber and corn cobs and is slated to begin operating in late 2011. See the press releases from DDCE and Poet.

A number of other commercial-scale facilities are also in the works. Mascoma Corporation and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm have announced plans to build a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Located in Chippewa County south of Sault Ste. Marie, the facility will use microbes to break down wood fiber and ferment it into ethanol, a process known as consolidated bio-processing.

In addition, BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. has been granted a conditional-use permit from the County of Los Angeles for the construction of a commercial facility to convert biowaste into ethanol. To be located near Lancaster, about 45 miles north of Los Angeles, the facility will use concentrated acid to break down non-foodstock urban wastes (such as grass clippings) and forestry and agricultural residues so they can be fermented into ethanol. Slated to begin operation in late 2009 with partial funded from a DOE grant, the facility will separate lignin from the biomass and use it to produce electricity and steam.

And Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. plans to build a facility near Reno, Nevada, that will use a Plasma Enhanced Melter from InEnTec, LLC to gasify municipal solid waste, followed by a catalytic process to convert the gas into ethanol. Construction will begin this year, with production slated for early 2010. See Governor Granholm's press release, the Mascoma Web site, the press releases from BlueFire Ethanol and Fulcrum BioEnergy (PDF 34 KB), and the InEnTec press release and Web site.

GM to Spend $500 Million to Launch the Chevy Cruze, a New Small Car

The fuel-efficient Chevrolet Cruze compact car is coming to the U.S., and GM is investing more than $350 million in its Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant to make it happen. The company will also spend $150 million to launch the new car in the U.S., bringing its total investment to $500 million. The Cruze is a "global compact car," meaning GM plans to sell similar versions of the vehicle in a number of global markets. Sales of the Chevy Cruze start in Europe and Asia Pacific next year, but GM has not yet announced a U.S. launch date. For now, anyone looking to see the real thing would have to travel to Paris, France, where the vehicle will debut when the Paris Motor Show starts on October 4. See the GM press releases on the Chevy Cruze and GM's $500 million investment.

Meanwhile, GM is launching "XFE" versions of its full-size pickups and SUVs, including the 2009 Chevy Silverado, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Sierra, and GMC Yukon. XFE stands for "Xtra Fuel Economy," and the vehicles include a number of mechanical, aerodynamic, and mass-reducing enhancements to deliver a 5% increase in highway fuel economy and a more than 7% improvement in city fuel economy. They are powered by a 5.3-liter FlexFuel V-8 engine, built with a cylinder block and heads made from lightweight aluminum, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. The vehicles also feature lightweight aluminum wheels, low-rolling-resistance tires, and aluminum lower control arms on their suspensions. See the GM press release.

GM is also developing the Chevrolet Volt, which is a plug-in hybrid with a production target date of 2010. The company has launched a new media Web site for the Volt, including the first "teaser" photos of the production vehicle: a close-up of the rear-end badging and a close-up of the left front end. See the Chevy Volt Web site and compare the new front end photo with the original concept vehicle photo.

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