Verenium ready for cellulosic ethanol plant in Louisiana

A demonstration plant in Louisiana is the latest entry in the cellulosic ethanol race. Verenium announced yesterday that the company is starting up a 1.4 million gallon-per-year plant in Jennings, La with the intended non-food feedstocks being stems and leaves. Verenium will use "specialty enzymes and Verenium's proprietary technology," the AP reports. By mid-2009, Verenium hopes to have a production plant up and running that can make 30 mgpy once the test plant proves that Verenium's cellulosic ethanol process is validated. Carlos Riva, Verenium's president and CEO, said in a statement that, "With this plant moving into operations, we are on the brink of commercialization, on the brink of success." We'll see.

[Source: Verenium, AP]