News Release
For Immediate Release — June 20, 2008
UT Reports on Progress of Biofuels Initiative
(KNOXVILLE) In a routine update to the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees, UT Executive Vice President David Millhorn today reported that the University's much celebrated Biofuels Initiative remains on track to construct and open a biorefinery in 2010.
Millhorn further reported that the University continues to finalize business arrangements with strategic partners including Mascoma, Inc. The University is committed to this project which has tremendous economic development opportunities throughout the state and will provide solutions to a critical national need for sustainable alternative energy, Millhorn said.
The biorefinery is to be located in Vonore at the Niles Ferry Industrial Park and will be among the nation's few facilities contracting with area farmers to produce switchgrass as an energy crop. The University contracts with 16 farmers currently growing switchgrass on some 700 acres for the project, and it anticipates a need for some 6,000 to 8,000 acres of switchgrass by 2010 when the facility commences operations.
The recently formed limited liability company Genera Energy will manage the facility. Genera Energy was formed by the UT Research Foundation for the purpose of constructing and operating the cellulosic ethanol biorefinery. Genera Energy will help transform the technological developments made by researchers into products for the marketplace.
Cellulosic biofuels are referred to as the next or second generation of biofuels because they are not necessarily made with food-based commodities like corn or sugar cane. Genera Energy will focus on the production of ethanol from sustainable non-food plant biomass such as switchgrass and other woody biomass commodities.
Researchers with the UT Institute of Agriculture are cooperating with scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other technical and industry partners to solve issues related to the production of cellulosic ethanol.
###Contact:
Kelly Tiller, Director of Operations, UT Office of Bioenergy Programs, 865-946-1130