Gulf plans test for cellulosic ethanol preprocessor

Tag : processed ethanol

HOUSTON: Gulf Ethanol Corp. has established a research anddevelopment facility designed to refine and commercialise acellulosic feedstock preprocessor that will draw ethanol fromnon-food products.

The facility will run tests using a prototype machine for thepreprocessor recently completed by Vortex Ventures. The cellulosicpreprocessing system was designed to reduce sorghum and otherbiomass into a fine powder that can be processed into ethanol moreefficiently.

The pilot plant is likely to draw ethanol from a range of non-foodfeedstocks including sawdust, wet and dry sorghum, hay andswitchgrass. Gulf will evaluate the various feedstocks, refine theengineering requirements and determine the optimal scale ofoperations during the test production.