Range Fuels, Inc. will break ground Nov. 6 on the nation’s first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant to be located in Treutlen County near Soperton, Ga. The Colorado-based company will use the funds it received from the U.S. DOE in March to construct the facility. The groundbreaking event is being hosted on the future site of the cellulosic plant. The event will feature federal, state, city and county officials, including the U.S. Secreatary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. Other speakers expected to attend include Georgia State Sen. Jack Hill, former State Sen. Hugh Gillis and Range Fuels CEO Mitch Mandich.
“Range Fuels’ groundbreaking on its first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant represents an extraordinary opportunity to move the country forward into the next generation of biofuels that will help improve the environment and secure America’s energy independence,” said Brian Jennings, executive vice president for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE). “Now, more than ever, it is critical for us to pursue clean-burning, homegrown and cost-effective alternatives to foreign oil. Range Fuels is among the leaders in the biofuels industry and is poised to help us achieve these goals. I congratulate Range Fuels on this important day.”
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Once all phases of construction are complete, the facility will have maximum capacity to pump out 100 MMgy of ethanol. Wood and other wood residues from Georgia’s pine forests and mills will be used as feedstocks. Construction of the first 20 MMgy phase is expected to be completed late 2008.
On the Web:
www.rangefuels.com
