GM and Mascoma form cellulosic ethanol partnership
December 31st, 1969
Rick Wagoner, General Motors' CEO, has recently come out against United Nations research arguing that there is a link between biofuel production and a global rise in food prices, deriding the report as "shockingly misinformed."
Perhaps GM's own vested interest in the subject - not just in the form of its already hefty investment in E85-capable cars and future models, but its new partnership with Mascoma - lies at the root of Wagoner's statements.
The partnership, announced in a statement released today, is based on cooperation to develop Mascoma's single-step biochemical production method for cellulosic ethanol. The process uses non-grain biomass to create alternative fuels. The partnership is especially keen on stressing the non-grain origin of the fuels.
"Demonstrating the viability of sustainable non-grain based ethanol is critical to developing the infrastructure to support the flex-fuel vehicle market," said GM President Fritz Henderson.
GM is already a leader in E85-capable vehicles in the U.S., where it has sold nearly half of the 7 million flex fuel vehicles on the market. The partnership with Mascoma will help GM secure a sustainable source of ethanol to fuel those vehicles, and future vehicles it plans to be powered by the low-carbon alternative fuel.
Mascoma expects to begin production later this year at a demonstration plant currently being built in Rome, New York.
A similar project has been announced by Coskata, another company GM is working with on cellulosic ethanol. Our previous coverage of that tie-up can be found here.
Rick Wagoner, General Motors' CEO, has recently come out against United Nations research arguing that there is a link between biofuel production and a global rise in food prices, deriding the report as "shockingly misinformed."
Perhaps GM's own vested interest in the subject - not just in the form of its already hefty investment in E85-capable cars and future models, but its new partnership with Mascoma - lies at the root of Wagoner's statements.
The partnership, announced in a statement released today, is based on cooperation to develop Mascoma's single-step biochemical production method for cellulosic ethanol. The process uses non-grain biomass to create alternative fuels. The partnership is especially keen on stressing the non-grain origin of the fuels.
"Demonstrating the viability of sustainable non-grain based ethanol is critical to developing the infrastructure to support the flex-fuel vehicle market," said GM President Fritz Henderson.
GM is already a leader in E85-capable vehicles in the U.S., where it has sold nearly half of the 7 million flex fuel vehicles on the market. The partnership with Mascoma will help GM secure a sustainable source of ethanol to fuel those vehicles, and future vehicles it plans to be powered by the low-carbon alternative fuel.
Mascoma expects to begin production later this year at a demonstration plant currently being built in Rome, New York.
A similar project has been announced by Coskata, another company GM is working with on cellulosic ethanol. Our previous coverage of that tie-up can be found here.
GM and Mascoma form cellulosic ethanol partnership
May 1st, 2008
Author
May 1st, 2008
Author
May 1st, 2008
- Articles Contributed: 1707
- Comments Posted: 0
- Leaderboard Rank: N/A
- 398 Views
- 3 Comments
Perhaps GM's own vested interest in the subject - not just in the form of its already hefty investment in E85-capable cars and future models, but its new partnership with Mascoma - lies at the root of Wagoner's statements.
The partnership, announced in a statement released today, is based on cooperation to develop Mascoma's single-step biochemical production method for cellulosic ethanol. The process uses non-grain biomass to create alternative fuels. The partnership is especially keen on stressing the non-grain origin of the fuels.
"Demonstrating the viability of sustainable non-grain based ethanol is critical to developing the infrastructure to support the flex-fuel vehicle market," said GM President Fritz Henderson.
GM is already a leader in E85-capable vehicles in the U.S., where it has sold nearly half of the 7 million flex fuel vehicles on the market. The partnership with Mascoma will help GM secure a sustainable source of ethanol to fuel those vehicles, and future vehicles it plans to be powered by the low-carbon alternative fuel.
Mascoma expects to begin production later this year at a demonstration plant currently being built in Rome, New York.
A similar project has been announced by Coskata, another company GM is working with on cellulosic ethanol. Our previous coverage of that tie-up can be found here.
More from MotorAuthority
-
11/06/2009
Opel Boss Carl-Peter Forster Calls It Quits
Carl-Peter Forster, GM group vice president and president of Opel, will be ...
-
11/06/2009
GM Czar Lutz Heading Back To Europe--To Opel?
GM's sudden decision this week to reverse path and keep Opel rather than ...
-
11/06/2009
Toyota To Put 2010 4Runner Through The Baja 1000 Wringer
Toyota's involvement in motorsports has been a hot topic this week with ...
More from High Gear Media
-
AllSmallCars.com | 11/08/2009
Volt Not To Be a Sub-Brand Of GM
The Chevrolet Volt is probably one of the most anticipated cars to be ...
-
AllCarsElectric.com | 11/08/2009
LG Chem Signs Joint Venture to Supply Hyundai Mobis With Li-ion Batteries
Add another automaker to the supplier list of LG Chem as Hyundai Mobis ...
-
GreenCarReports.com | 11/07/2009
First Drive: 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6
"Our goal was to fundamentally change the view of hybrids ," said Peter ...
%7Cutmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)%3B%2B__utmv%3D62945429.%3B)
Comments (3 total)
Meet the top commenters on the LeaderboardBy chris #1, Posted: 5/1/2008
ok.. now THAT is cool. saw what you will about ethanol, but when its coming from fibre waste and not the food itself, well you really cant argue with that. hell, this could mean that farming becomes a carbon neutral industry. imagine deere and cat making ethanol tractors and combines so that farmers can fuel up on their solid wastes? imagine a world where we burn E85 that is developed in conjunction with an already existing farming industry that naturally emits a lot of CO2 (thought cultivation). I wonder if there would be enough fuel from this method to fuel all of the farming machines, and then some.
Imagine the grocery store. instead of the organic section, you might get a carbon neutral section soon.
really, in the end, the coolest bit about this is that we can make fuel without burning much more fuel than the farming is already burning.
guinness in a bottle.... BRILLIANT!
By Gus #2, Posted: 5/1/2008
I've been talking about cellulosic ethanol for a while now, it is th future of ethanol...
By chris #3, Posted: 5/2/2008
agreed. with the current food shortage, something tells me any ethanol that is made directly from food in the very near future will be disgraced by the same "save the world" types that are supposed to be buying the stuff.
Post a Comment
Sign In |