Biofuel Site Announcement
Transcript
Niles Ferry Industrial Park
Monroe County Dr. Joe DiPietro
Vice President, UT Institute of Agriculture
Dr. Kelly Tiller
UT Institute of Agriculture
Jack Sanders
Bradley County Farmer
Chuck Denney
UT institute of Agriculture
Lacy Upchurch
Tennessee Farm Bureau
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Chuck Denney
Working on an aggressive time line, UT plans a biorefinery on this 40 acre site in the Niles Ferry Industrial Park in Vonore. The groundbreaking is soon - 18 months to build - and then the first gallon of celulosic ethanol or Grassoline will be made here late in 2009. After that, production really kicks in.
Dr. Kelly Tiller
“At full capacity, the plant will produce five million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol.”
Chuck Denney
UT’s Dr. Kelly Tiller is one of the leader’s in the University’s Biofuels initiative. The proposed buildings are shown in this enhanced aerial photo. Tiller says the biorefinery will be more than just a corn to ethanol operation. Here the emphasis will be on cellulosic materials such as switchgrass, but also other crops, wood chips and ag residue. An estimated 170 tons per day will be converted to fuel.
Dr. Kelly Tiller
“Those will go into a manufacturing facility, a conversion facility where that cellulosic material will be broken down through chemical means and fermented and distilled into ethanol.”
Chuck Denney
UT’s Initiative is a research and business model that will position Tennessee as a national leader in biofuel production. The university will invest forty million dollars to build the facility, and a number of UT experts will be working here.
Dr. Joe DiPietro
“It’s in close proximity to UT. It’s probably 35, 40 minutes away. Our research people and our team are going to be going down there, back-and-forth all the time. Our Extension folks are going to have to go out there and be educated.”
Chuck Denney
The site also has access to rail, barge and highway transportation. Another key is the nearby farmland, good for producing switchgrass and other materials needed to make biofuels.
Dr. Kelly Tiller
“Given that we’re in the heart of a very productive farming region, this is a really good fit for the types of farms and farmers that we have in this area. So that makes it a very attractive location.”
Chuck Denney
UT leaders believe biofuel production is a potential new commodity for farmers. There will be future incentive programs for them to give switchgrass a try - and producers like the idea some of our nation’s fuel could come from their fields.
Jack Sanders
“Our dependence on foreign oil is too much. We’ve known that for a long time. If the farmers can have a part of national security, that would be an added bonus – to adding just some income to the farmers.”
Lacy Upchurch
“When you put entities like state government, the Governor, the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Farm Bureau and so many other agencies involved in a total prospect of a project - then good things can happen. Just the concept of having a dedicated energy crop, a new crop in Tennessee is really exciting for me and good for agriculture in this state.”
Chuck Denney
UT and its partners – the Mascoma Corporation and the Oak Ridge National Lab – envision a number of these biorefineries statewide someday. Extensive production isn’t coming tomorrow – but it will be happening on this site in about two years – and the reality of cellulosic ethanol is off to a good start.
END
NOTE: You can learn more about biofuels at a new web site – www.utbioenergy.org.