On June 3, DOE ordered Aspen Manufacturing, Inc.; Summit Manufacturing; and Advanced Distributor Products to halt distribution of the noncompliant models and to notify all previous buyers of the noncompliant models. If the companies fail to respond or to notify their customers, DOE will seek a judicial order to prevent the sale of noncompliant models.
Under federal law, manufacturers of certain products covered by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act must certify with DOE that their models meet the applicable minimum energy conservation standards. Based on certification information submitted to DOE, the agency discovered that Aspen Manufacturing had certified 58 heat pumps models and one air conditioner model that failed to meet federal energy efficiency standards by up to 7%. DOE also found one heat pump model manufactured by Summit Manufacturing that failed the energy use standards by about 16%, as well as two heat pump models manufactured by Advanced Distributor Products that missed the standard by 1%-2%. See the DOE press release and the Web site for DOE's Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards Program.
ZeaChem Breaks Ground on Cellulosic Ethanol Biorefinery in Oregon
ZeaChem, Inc. held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 2 for a cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon.
The demonstration-scale facility will produce 250,000 gallons per year of ethanol from hybrid poplar trees grown at a nearby tree farm, and will test production of ethanol from other biomass sources, such as agricultural residues and herbaceous crops.
ZeaChem's technology uses a chemical process to separate sugars (xylose and glucose) from biomass, then uses bacteria to ferment the sugars, forming acetic acid. The acetic acid is then concentrated and chemically converted into ethyl acetate. While ethyl acetate is itself a marketable chemical product, ZeaChem intends to use a $25 million grant, awarded by DOE through the Recovery Act, to add the capability of converting the ethyl acetate into ethanol.
To accomplish that trick requires several additional steps. First, residues left over after sugars are separated from biomass are fed into a high-temperature gasifier, forming a hydrogen-rich synthetic gas, or "syngas." The hydrogen is separated from syngas and reacted with ethyl acetate to form ethanol. The remaining syngas is burned to create steam and power for the biorefinery.
As a result, the facility will be able to produce multiple products: a biobased chemical, cellulosic ethanol, and electrical power. ZeaChem expects the steam and power produced to cover the energy demands of the biorefinery. The company also claims the facility could be modified to produce a variety of biobased organic chemicals, allowing it to change its product to best respond to market conditions.
ZeaChem expects the facility to begin operating this year using its core technology for ethyl acetate production, with cellulosic ethanol production starting in 2011. The company tested its fermentation technology at a research facility in Colorado, and it claims that numerous industry vendors have validated the additional process steps, include acetic acid concentration and ethyl acetate production. The Oregon Employment Department calculates that construction and operation of the Boardman facility will create 292 direct and indirect jobs in Oregon. See the ZeaChem press release and the technology description on the ZeaChem Web site.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
