Source: US DEPT. OF ENERGY, 10/30/14

On October 17, Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) Director Jonathan Male joined Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson at the grand opening of the nation’s third commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Hugoton, Kansas.

The Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas facility is the first of its kind to use a proprietary enzymatic hydrolysis process, which turns cellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars that are then converted into transportation fuels. The plant will produce cellulosic ethanol from non-edible corn stalks, stems, and leaves harvested within a 50-mile radius of the plant. This state-of-the-art facility will feature an electricity cogeneration component with a capacity of 21 megawatts that will generate enough electricity to power itself and provide excess clean, renewable power to the local community. It is designed to produce 25 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year.

View the Abengoa infographic for more information about the facility, its economic impact, and the Energy Department’s role in its creation and operation.