First large U.S. cellulosic ethanol plant opens

The first U.S. demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant has opened in Jennings, Louisiana. Verenium’s new plant will make ethanol from sugar cane waste and has the capacity to produce 1.4 million gallons a year. Until now, only labs and small-scale pilot projects have used the technology for converting non-food feedstocks into ethanol. Next year the company plans to start construction of commercial plants that will each produce 20-30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol a year.