Pacific Ethanol to make ethanol from cellulose at two plants

MADERA

February 16, 2017 7:10am

•  Adds Edeniq technology to Madera plant

•  “We expect the technology will increase earnings by over $2 million annually”

By the end of the year, Pacific Ethanol expects to be pumping out ethanol made from cellulose at both its Stockton plant and its Madera plant.

Pacific Ethanol Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) of Sacramento has been making cellulosic ethanol at its Stockton plant for more than a year using technology licensed from Edeniq Inc., of Visalia.

The Madera plant will now also use Edeniq's technology.

The Madera plant has a total annual production capacity of 40 million gallons, and is expected to produce up to one million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol with Edeniq's process. Installation is expected to be completed in the third quarter.

"Consistent with our strategy to improve yields and increase production of advanced biofuels at our plants, we are expanding cellulosic ethanol production to our Madera facility,” says Neil Koehler, Pacific Ethanol's president and CEO. “We began producing cellulosic ethanol using Edeniq's technology at our Stockton plant in December 2015, and the resulting bottom line contribution is significant. Once commercial scale production is reached at Madera, we expect the technology will increase earnings by over $2 million annually.”

Edeniq's technology makes ethanol from corn kernel fiber utilizing existing fermenters at corn ethanol plants.

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