California-based cellulosic ethanol developer BlueFire Ethanol Fuels Inc. has secured 28 individual air permits from the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District needed to proceed with construction of its 3.7 MMgy cellulosic ethanol plant in Lancaster, Calif.
At the Lancaster facility, BlueFire Ethanol intends to process cellulosic waste such as forest residues, construction and demolition debris and agricultural wastes into cellulosic ethanol utilizing a patented concentrated acid hydrolysis process technology pathway by Arkenol Fuels Inc. The plant is also designed to use reclaimed water and lignin, a byproduct of the production process, which will be used to produce electricity and steam.
“The Lancaster facility will incorporate the best control technologies available for air emissions and will strictly adhere to BlueFire’s commitment to protecting our natural resources,” said Arnold Klann, president and chief executive officer of BlueFire Ethanol.
BlueFire Ethanol said it selected the Lancaster location due to an estimated 170 tons of biowaste material, which pass by the property daily while en route to an adjacent landfill. A groundbreaking date has not been determined by the company.
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“By locating biorefineries directly in the markets with the highest demand for ethanol, our technology not only provides an economically valuable product using less delivery-related resources, but also helps surrounding cities manage landfill waste,” Klann said. “This solves two problems for the price of one.”
In 2007, BlueFire Ethanol was one of six ethanol companies selected to receive a $40 million grant from the U.S. DOE. The company was one of the first to draw from this funding and use it towards construction of its BlueFire Mecca LLC project; an18 MMgy cellulosic ethanol facility near Palm Springs, Calif. The company hasn’t determined a definitive groundbreaking date for that project.
