Poet-DSM Orders Andritz Biomass Pre-Treatment Technology for Project LIBERTY

Poet-DSM Advanced Biofuels has ordered from Andritz, Graz, Austria (through its U.S subsidiary Andritz Inc.) advanced continuous biomass pre-treatment technology for its commercial-scale biofuel facility being built in Emmetsburg, Iowa, USA. Project LIBERTY is POET-DSM's first commercial scale, second generation cellulosic ethanol plant. The facility at Emmetsburg will produce 20 million gal of renewable ethanol per year using corn cobs, leaves, husk, and some stalk to produce renewable fuel. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Andritz's advanced steam explosion (SteamEx) technology is a two-stage process that includes a vertical reactor, interstage washing, and continuous steam explosion. The technology will be employed to help in the pre-treatment of biomass so that it can be converted into low-cost sugars that will be used in the production of ethanol. This technology is well-proven in other industrial processes and, through extensive R&D in liquid biofuels, has been optimized by Andritz to satisfy the requirements for Project LIBERTY.

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