INEOS Bio facility in Florida begins producing renewable power

Thursday, Nov 01, 2012

Today INEOS Bio announced that its joint-venture project, INEOS New Planet BioEnergy (INPB), has reached another milestone and is now producing renewable power using INEOS Bio's feedstock flexible BioEnergy technology. The facility is producing renewable power for the facility and for export to the local community.  At full production, the Center is expected to produce 8 million gallons of advanced cellulosic bioethanol and six megawatts (gross) of renewable power using renewable biomass including yard, vegetative, and agricultural wastes.  After the biogenic material goes through the gasification process, synthesis gas, or syngas is created.  The heat recovered from the hot syngas is fed into a steam turbine and is used to generate renewable electricity. The renewable electricity powers the Center and the excess electricity is expected to power as many as 1,400 homes in the Vero Beach community.

"The production of renewable power is a significant benefit of our technology. The power generated improves the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas savings of the facility while contributing to the base load of renewable electricity for the local community," said Peter Williams, CEO of INEOS Bio and Chairman of INPB. "We look forward to rapidly rolling out this technology globally to provide the benefits of bioethanol and renewable power from waste to local communities."

The Center is the first large-scale project in the United States to receive registrations from the EPA for a facility using non-food vegetative waste materials (vegetative and yard waste) to produce cellulosic ethanol.

Construction on the Center was completed in June 2012, and production of advanced cellulosic bioethanol is scheduled to begin in the 4th Quarter. INEOS Bio has plans to run municipal solid waste at the Center after the initial start-up.

The BioEnergy Center created more than 400 direct jobs in construction, engineering and manufacturing during its development and injected more than $25 million directly into the Florida economy. The Center has 60 full-time employees and provides $4 million annually in payroll to the local community. The project sourced over 90 percent of the equipment from U.S. manufacturers creating or retaining jobs in more than 10 states.

The Center will serve as a reference plant for future INEOS Bio facilities and for companies and cities interested in using the technology for similar facilities.

SOURCE INEOS Bio