Recovery Act: Alpena Biorefinery and Alpena Biorefinery Lignin Separation Final Technical Report
- American Process Inc., Atlanta, GA (United States)
The Alpena Biorefinery (AB) was constructed in Alpena, Michigan, at the Decorative Panels International hardboard manufacturing facility. The goal of the AB was to demonstrate a modular, technically successful, and financially viable process of making cellulosic ethanol from woody biomass extract at wood processing facilities. At full capacity, the AB can produce 894,200 gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol and 696,000 gallons per year of aqueous potassium acetate, using extract from northern hardwood and aspen woodchips feedstock. The project objectives and the value proposition of AB promote the national goals of energy independence, greenhouse gas reduction, and green job creation and retention. A successful outcome of the Alpena Biorefinery project has been commercial sales of the first ever cellulosic ethanol RINS generated from woody biomass in the US, under the EPA’s Renewable Fuels Standard Program. We believe that American Process is also likely the first company in the world to produce commercial quantities of cellulosic ethanol from mixed forest residue. Life Cycle Analysis performed by Michigan Institute of Technology found that the entire life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from the plant’s cellulosic ethanol were only 25 percent that of petroleum-based gasoline. They found the potassium acetate runway de-icer coproduct generates up to 45 percent less greenhouse gases than the production of conventional potassium acetate. The Alpena Biorefinery project created 31 permanent jobs for direct employees and helped retain 200 jobs associated with the existing Decorative Panels International facility, by increasing its economic viability through significant savings in waste water treatment costs. The AB project has been declared a Michigan Center of Energy Excellence and was awarded a $4 million State of Michigan grant. The project also received New Market Tax Credit financing for locating in an economically distressed community. All other equity funds were contributed by American Process Inc. The facility will remain operational after the demonstration period. It will also be available as a pilot-plant “for hire,” where third parties can perform trials on emerging biorefinery technologies. Additional capital projects are underway outside of the scope of DOE project.
- Research Organization:
- American Process Inc., Atlanta, GA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0002868; EE0006120
- OSTI ID:
- 1336448
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-API-0002868; DOE-API-0006120; DE-EE0006120
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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