DuPont opens world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant in USA

Last week in Iowa, U.S.A, ePURE member DuPont opened the world's largest cellulosic ethanol plant, which will use corncobs, husks and stalks to produce ethanol. This new biorefinery has a capacity to produce 30 million gallons per year of advanced biofuel that offers a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to petrol. ePURE welcomes this development and believes that Europe should follow the U.S.A's example by building a stronger policy framework to harness the potential of advanced biofuels and attract investments in commercialised advanced biofuels production plants. Europe is already well equipped for success in this area with many European companies being world leaders in advanced biofuels technologies. But in the absence of stronger EU policy rules to support advanced biofuels production in Europe, there is a danger that investments will be lost or go elsewhere to other countries, such as the US and Brazil, where policy rules are more supportive.

More information on DuPont's new biorefinery can be found here.