Aemetis Inc., Cupertino, CA, announces Biofuels Digest has awarded the company's cellulosic ethanol facility under development at the Riverbank site in California as the #1 Waste-to-Value Project in the world.
The Aemetis facility earned its number one project ranking as a result of its low cost contracted inputs, high value outputs, proven process technology and a planned $125 million USDA guaranteed loan.
Biofuels Digest notes the Aemetis Riverbank project combines the best technology from leading technology providers LanzaTech and InEnTec with the local availability of waste orchard wood and other feedstock that can be used to produce Aemetis' high value cellulosic ethanol and valuable byproducts.
The Aemetis Riverbank plant plans to integrate advanced arc furnace and gas fermentation technologies to convert agricultural waste biomass into below zero carbon (in terms of expected carbon intensity scores as determined under California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard), renewable cellulosic ethanol and high value fish meal.
Aemetis seeks to reduce air pollution in California's Central Valley, where the recent closure of biomass to electricity plants has led to an oversupply of waste orchard wood and other feedstock, and a return to burning agricultural waste.
The Aemetis cellulosic ethanol project converts these agricultural wastes into high value renewable fuels and animal feed. Key milestones of the Aemetis Riverbank project include:
- Recently completed operation of a fully integrated demonstration unit of the InEnTec gasifier and LanzaTech microbial reactor technologies in Richland, WA, which generated high commercial yields of 77 gallons of ethanol per ton of feedstock
- Signed a 20-year feedstock supply agreement starting at only $15 per bone dry ton
- Deployment of the LanzaTech process technology in China to convert steel mill waste gases into ethanol using a similar reactor design to that planned to be deployed in the Aemetis Riverbank plant
The Aemetis Riverbank plant will be built in Riverbank, CA, near the existing Aemetis Keyes 60-million gallon ethanol facility.
Aemetis is in the process of completing final engineering and permitting, with plans to complete project financing and begin construction of the Riverbank plant this year.
