Beta Renewables Sees 2015 as Boom Year for Cellulosic Biofuels
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) * U.S. cellulosic biofuel goals not reached
* Beta sees industry stepping up output by 2015
* New players could emerge from eastern Europe
Biofuels made from wood waste and sugarcane have languished well below expectations for years but new production coming on line promises explosive growth by 2015, the chief executive of producer Beta Renewables said on Monday.
…Chief Executive Guido Ghisolfi told Reuters he expects the industry to produce around 30 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel from the United States and Europe this year.
Commercial production at Beta’s Crescentino plant in the Piedmont region of Italy should reach 15-16 million gallons of this year, he said.
By the end of 2014, Ghisolfi expects six or seven plants to be operating globally across the industry, with output reaching 100 million gallons.
“The boom year will be 2015 with 15 to 20 plants producing hundreds of millions of gallons,” Ghisolfi said.
…”Last year the market was flimsy. But today, demand outstrips offers because there is not so much second-generation biofuel around and people are screaming for it,” Ghisolfi said, adding that demand is mainly coming from Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, India and New Zealand.
…”There are more plants being built in the United States but cost-wise it will not be at the front. For that, Brazil will be the frontrunner and Southeast Asia is immediately behind,” Ghisolfi said.
…”I wouldn’t be surprised to see investment flowing to Poland, Belarus, Serbia, Ukraine and Russia by the end of this year or early next year,” he said. READ MORE and MORE (Ethanol Producer Magazine)
