Construction of Ineos' $130 million biorefinery joint venture project in the US has been completed, with production expected to begin in the second half of 2012, said Peter Williams, CEO of Ineos Bio, the Switzerland-based company's bioenergy business.
The project, once on stream, will produce 8 million gallons/year of ethanol and generate 6 MW of renewable power from local yard, vegetative and household wastes. It is located in the Indian River County in Florida.
Williams said the project, which will be the first commercial-scale facility in the US that will make advanced biofuels using Ineos Bio's gasification and fermentation technology, is progressing according to plan and within budget.
He added the project is undergoing commissioning process and is expected to start production within the second half of the year.
"Everything was pretty much on plan," William told Platts in an interview Monday, adding that the production is to ramp up and is expected to achieve the designed capacity by the fourth quarter.
The project is carried out by Ineos New Planet BioEnergy (INPB), a joint venture between Ineos and New Planet Energy, a US-based project development company. Ineos is the majority owner of INPB, added Williams, declining to provide details.
Williams, who is also chairman of INPB, said Ineos is also looking to pursue similar projects in the US and Europe.
Using naturally occurring bacteria, Ineos Bio's technology can convert gases derived directly from biomass into ethanol.
"Unlike other technologies that rely on one primary source of feedstock, the Ineos Bio process can produce ethanol and renewable energy from numerous non-food feedstocks, including construction and municipal solid waste, forestry and agricultural waste," the company said. --Monicca Egoy, monicca_egoy@platts.com
