Jan. 30

The Department of Energy is investing more than $84 million in three small-scale cellulosic ethanol plants that will help determine whether the processes would work for commercial production.

The four projects will each produce about 2.5 million gallons of ethanol from cellulosic material annually.

The DOE will provide as much as $30 million each to ICM Inc., of Colwich, Kan., and Lignol Innovations Inc., of Berwyn, Pa.

The proposed ICM plant would be located in St. Joseph, Mo., and use biochemical and thermochemical processing to turn agricultural residues -- including corn fiber, switchgrass and sorghum -- into ethanol.

The proposed Lignol plant would be located in Commerce City, Co., and convert hard and sof wood residues into ethanol.

The third project, by Pacific Ethanol Inc., of Sacramento, Calif., would received $24.3 million in DOE funding. The plant would be built in Boardman, Ore., and convert agricultural and forest residues into ethanol.

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