Iogen ships first 26,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol to Shell

Canadian cellulosic ethanol producer Iogen has shipped the first 26,000 gallons of an order for Royal Dutch Shell. Iogen recently announced a deal with Shell that would see them cooperate on commercializing cellulosic ethanol production. Iogen has a demonstration plant near the Canadian capitol and produced the biofuel from wheat straw feedstock. Iogen uses a "steam explosion" pre-treatment process that increases the surface area of the raw materials making the enzymes used to break down the cellulose more effective. Iogen produces its own enzymes that are then used in a hydrolysis process to produce glucose. The glucose is then fermented and distilled to produce the alcohol.
[Source: Iogen]