April 24

Oklahoma secured land April 24 for the world’s largest stand of switchgrass devoted to cellulosic ethanol production.

Switchgrass has higher energy output than corn and does not compete with human or animal food sources.

The Oklahoma Bioenergy Center, a state-initiative championed by Gov. Brad Henry, secured land to enable the planting of more than 1,100 acres of production-scale demonstration fields for cellulosic energy crops, such as switchgrass and sorghum. Planting will take place within the next 45 days.

One-thousand acres of switchgrass will be planted near Guymon, Okla., in the state’s panhandle. This switchgrass field will be the first of its size focused on biomass production. Additional acreage of sorghum and switchgrass will be planted near Chickasha and Maysville in central Oklahoma.

A cellulosic biorefinery by Abengoa Bioenergy in Hugoton, Kan., will be operational in 2010 and process the energy crops into fuel.

E-mail Waste News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at bgeiselman@crain.com

To subscribe or visit go to:  http://www.wastenews.com