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Tampa Company Joins To Build First Of Its Kind Ethanol Plant

Verenium

The plant will make ethanol from energy cane, a variety of sugar cane bred specifically for ethanol production.

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By RUSSELL RAY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 15, 2009

Verenium Corp. and Tampa-based Lykes Brothers Inc. unveiled plans this morning to build the nation's first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in central Florida.

The plant will be able to produce up to 36 million gallons of ethanol a year, using a special feedstock known as energy cane, a variety of sugar cane bred specifically for ethanol production. The $300 million facility will be built on a 20,000-acre site east of Brighton in Highlands County.

Cellulosic ethanol is made from plants or woody materials and is an alternative to ethanol made from corn, an important food crop.

"Cellulosic ethanol is much more efficient than traditional ethanol production technologies," said Tim Eves, Verenium's vice president for commercial development.

Verenium will use a strain of bacteria developed by University of Florida researcher Lonnie Ingram to convert the energy cane into ethanol. Verenium is the only company licensed to use Ingram's patented technology.

The plant, which will be built on land owned by Lykes Bros., will be fueled with energy cane grown by Lykes Bros.

"It will be totally surrounded by a contiguous farm where we will be growing the energy crop," Eves said. "We picked Florida because of its great growing climate, and Lykes is a great partner."

Construction will begin later this year, and commercial production is expected to begin in 2011.

Reporter Russell Ray can be reached at (813) 259-7870.

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