Biomass harvesting is underway

Iowa, USA — Project LIBERTY at the POET-DSM plant in Emmetsburg, is removing a portion of the plant material from corn fields, known as Biomass harvesting, in an effort to transform ethanol production.

"Project Liberty is one of the first in the world to take plant material, cellulosic materials and convert it into ethanol," said Adam Wirt of POET. "It's right here in Iowa. It's a 20 million gallon plant, we're using corn stover to make that homegrown ethanol."

Traditionally, most of the ethanol produced in the United States comes from corn.

Rich Crow, an Applied Ag and Food Studies Professor at Morningside College, says producing cellulosic ethanol with agricultural waste, will enable more corn to be used for food or livestock.

"One of the major controversies surrounding ethanol has been for many years is, we have a hungry world, and we're taking a food source and producing energy instead of feeding the world," said Rich Crow, Professor at Morningside College. But, Matt Merritt, a Poet-DSM spokesperson, says that's not the case. He says their goal is to generate another renewable fuel source to limit oil dependence, not to replace one renewable fuel source with another.

The Project Liberty facility at the POET-DSM plant costs $275 million. Sitting on 50 acres, Poet-DSM is pushing forward with their attempt to transform ethanol production.

"That joint venture really has two aspects to it," said Matt Merritt," spokesperson for POET-DSM. "The first is to build Project LIBERTY the plant and this is our first cellulosic ethanol plant and it also serves as a demonstration plant, proving the technology, we're showing people that it works. The second aspect of the joint venture is the licensing of that technology. Those licenses can go to POET plants, they can go to other ethanol producers or they could go to customers who aren't necessary in ethanol, but feel like a cellulosic ethanol plant would be a smart addition to whatever their operation is.

Poet officials say that not only is Biomass harvesting transforming agriculture, they say their work is also benefiting the local economy.

Merritt says the project created 50 direct and 200 indirect jobs, and pumps $20 million annually into the community from Feedstock.

While Biomass Harvesting and the production of cellulosic ethanol is rooted with positive motives, experts do say it has the potential to pose a number of different problems. Right now, farmers are removing up to 25 percent of the residue per acre. Professor Crow says that's not harmful, but the possibility of increased production may produce a threat, because corn stover provides nutrients to the soil for future crop growth. "The tendency we have is overtime to pump it up," said Professor Crow. "We start small and then we take more and more, so we have to be careful that we don't allow it to go too large.”

So, what does the future hold?

"This is such a new idea, we don't know if it's going to work, said Crow. "Much like corn ethanol did, we'll go through a process and in 10 years we'll look back and say it was the right thing to do."

About POET-DSM

POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels. It's a cooperative effort that offers the key to unlocking the cellulosic bio-ethanol opportunity for the world. It all starts with Project LIBERTY, POET's ongoing cellulosic bio-ethanol effort taking place right now in Emmetsburg, Iowa. POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels intends to globally license an integrated technology package that converts corn crop residue to cellulosic bio-ethanol to third parties, as well as the other 26 existing corn ethanol plants in POET's network.

For further information about POET-DSM, please visit the website here