GreenWood Resources in long-term agreement to supply poplar feedstock to ZeaChem's next-gen biorefinery
ZeaChem, Inc. and GreenWood Resources, Inc. (GWR), on behalf of GreenWood Tree Farm Fund, LP (GFTT) have announced the signing of a non-binding Letter of Intent to supply poplar tree (Pacific Albus) feed stock under a long-term agreement to support the operation of ZeaChem's cellulosic biorefinery. The biorefinery will initially produce 1.5 million gallons (5.7m liters) per year of next-generation biofuels based on ZeaChem's hybrid thermochemical and biochemical conversion process.
The biorefinery will be located near GTFF's Boardman, Oregon Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified Pacific Albus tree farm in the Columbia River Basin. Additionally, ZeaChem and GWR agreed to explore increasing the scope of the relationship to accommodate additional capacity at this biorefinery and other future sites through the potential development of short-rotation poplar biomass energy tree farms integrated with ethanol conversion technology.
ZeaChem will be responsible for financing, constructing and operating the Bio-Refinery. The Bio-Refinery will be located at the Port of Morrow near GTFF's existing Pacific Albus tree farms. Initial engineering for the site has already begun.
To convert acetic acid into ethanol it is first converted into ethyl acetate. This solvent is then reformed into ethanol with hydrogen. To get the hydrogen, ZeaChem lignin left over from the process that converts biomass into sugars. This material can be converted into a hydrogen-rich mixture of gases by gasification. The hydrogen is then combined with ethyl acetate to make ethanol, while providing power for the entire process. Zeachem's new hybrid processing technology has shown more than 40 percent better yield compared with conventional approaches, and it sees a theoretically possible improvement of 50 percent:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: cellulosic ethanol :: lignocellulosic :: poplar :: energy crop :: fermentation :: gasification :: biotechnology ::
The Zeachem process allows the use of a wide range of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks and allows both the fermentable and non-fermentable fractions to contribute chemical energy to the ethanol product.
Poplar trees have received much attention by the bioenergy community because they are fast growing and robust energy crops, that can be worked with in short rotation schemes (more here). The tree was the first to have its entire genome sequenced (earlier post).
The GreenWood Tree Farm Fund, LP, a $175,000,000 fund organized by GWR, has invested in the consolidation of existing high-yield, fast-growing tree farm assets in the Pacific Northwest. GTFF currently owns 35,000 acres of sustainable tree farms certified under FSC in the Columbia Basin in Oregon and Washington. Investment management for the GTFF is provided through GreenWood Capital Management North America, LLC (a majority control subsidiary of GWR).
GWR also provides tree farm property and irrigation management for GTFF. GTFF has also organized to capture unrealized value from its tree farms, by developing value-added processing with The Collins Companies of Portland, Oregon, to move logs into solid wood products markets. Collins provides management to the mills planned by GTFF, and marketing and sales activities for the FSC-certified Pacific Albus wood generated from the manufacturing. Please visit for more information.
ZeaChem Inc. builds and operates bio-refineries for the conversion of biomass into next-generation cellulosic ethanol fuel and cellulose-based intermediate chemicals. ZeaChem's hybrid bio-refining technology overcomes yield and emissions problems associated with the traditional biofuels business by using unique hybrid fermentation and chemical processes for the conversion of biomass to cellulosic-based chemicals and ethanol. ZeaChem's platform has the highest carbon and energy efficiency results of any known process, allowing the company to become the lowest cost producer of ethanol. Incorporated in 2002, ZeaChem is headquartered in Lakewood, CO with a laboratory and pilot plant in the San Francisco Bay Area.
References:
Biopact: ZeaChem uses termite gut microbe for ethanol: up to 50% yield increase -
February 07, 2008
Biopact: Virginia Tech researchers receive $1.2 million to study poplar tree as model biomass crop - June 26, 2007
Biopact: The first tree genome is published: Poplar holds promise as renewable bioenergy resource - September 14, 2006
The biorefinery will be located near GTFF's Boardman, Oregon Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified Pacific Albus tree farm in the Columbia River Basin. Additionally, ZeaChem and GWR agreed to explore increasing the scope of the relationship to accommodate additional capacity at this biorefinery and other future sites through the potential development of short-rotation poplar biomass energy tree farms integrated with ethanol conversion technology.
ZeaChem will be responsible for financing, constructing and operating the Bio-Refinery. The Bio-Refinery will be located at the Port of Morrow near GTFF's existing Pacific Albus tree farms. Initial engineering for the site has already begun.
We are pleased to have the opportunity to utilize a portion of the existing residual fiber from the GreenWood Tree Farms, and to bring our expertise in silviculture, germplasm, irrigation technology and global organizational reach together with ZeaChem's novel approach to producing cellulosic-based chemicals and ethanol. We look forward to working with ZeaChem as it commercializes its process and believe it sets the stage for the development of future short rotation poplar biomass energy tree farms integrated with emerging technologies for converting to ethanol. - Jeff Nuss, President and CEO of GWRZeaChem's approach to biorefining uses a combination of biochemical and thermochemical processing steps (previous post). The hybrid process improves yield by making more efficient use of biomass than conventional techniques do. It first breaks down cellulose into sugars, which are fermented by a highly efficient bacterium called Moorella thermoacetica (found in termite guts). Instead of producing ethanol, the microorganism generates acetic acid, a process that releases no carbon dioxide.
To convert acetic acid into ethanol it is first converted into ethyl acetate. This solvent is then reformed into ethanol with hydrogen. To get the hydrogen, ZeaChem lignin left over from the process that converts biomass into sugars. This material can be converted into a hydrogen-rich mixture of gases by gasification. The hydrogen is then combined with ethyl acetate to make ethanol, while providing power for the entire process. Zeachem's new hybrid processing technology has shown more than 40 percent better yield compared with conventional approaches, and it sees a theoretically possible improvement of 50 percent:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: cellulosic ethanol :: lignocellulosic :: poplar :: energy crop :: fermentation :: gasification :: biotechnology ::
The Zeachem process allows the use of a wide range of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks and allows both the fermentable and non-fermentable fractions to contribute chemical energy to the ethanol product.
Poplar trees have received much attention by the bioenergy community because they are fast growing and robust energy crops, that can be worked with in short rotation schemes (more here). The tree was the first to have its entire genome sequenced (earlier post).
Today's announcement is a win-win for both companies. It allows GreenWood to benefit from the development of the growing market demand for cellulosic-based chemicals and ethanol, while providing ZeaChem with a dedicated long-term cellulosic feed stock source from the leader in intensively-managed hybrid poplar trees for our planned initial 1.5 million GPY Bio-Refinery and other future sites. - James Imbler, President and Chief Executive Officer of ZeaChem, Inc.GreenWood Resources(GWR) is a global leader in the development and management of short-rotation, high yield hardwood tree farms for a range of products and end uses.
The GreenWood Tree Farm Fund, LP, a $175,000,000 fund organized by GWR, has invested in the consolidation of existing high-yield, fast-growing tree farm assets in the Pacific Northwest. GTFF currently owns 35,000 acres of sustainable tree farms certified under FSC in the Columbia Basin in Oregon and Washington. Investment management for the GTFF is provided through GreenWood Capital Management North America, LLC (a majority control subsidiary of GWR).
GWR also provides tree farm property and irrigation management for GTFF. GTFF has also organized to capture unrealized value from its tree farms, by developing value-added processing with The Collins Companies of Portland, Oregon, to move logs into solid wood products markets. Collins provides management to the mills planned by GTFF, and marketing and sales activities for the FSC-certified Pacific Albus wood generated from the manufacturing. Please visit for more information.
ZeaChem Inc. builds and operates bio-refineries for the conversion of biomass into next-generation cellulosic ethanol fuel and cellulose-based intermediate chemicals. ZeaChem's hybrid bio-refining technology overcomes yield and emissions problems associated with the traditional biofuels business by using unique hybrid fermentation and chemical processes for the conversion of biomass to cellulosic-based chemicals and ethanol. ZeaChem's platform has the highest carbon and energy efficiency results of any known process, allowing the company to become the lowest cost producer of ethanol. Incorporated in 2002, ZeaChem is headquartered in Lakewood, CO with a laboratory and pilot plant in the San Francisco Bay Area.
References:
Biopact: ZeaChem uses termite gut microbe for ethanol: up to 50% yield increase -
February 07, 2008
Biopact: Virginia Tech researchers receive $1.2 million to study poplar tree as model biomass crop - June 26, 2007
Biopact: The first tree genome is published: Poplar holds promise as renewable bioenergy resource - September 14, 2006
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