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Fulcrum BioEnergy, an advanced biofuels specialist has awarded a procurement and construction contract for its Sierra BioFuels Plant to Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management company.
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) activities are underway at the new facility - a commercial-scale biorefinery that will convert post-sorted municipal solid waste (MSW) to ethanol for use as transportation fuel for cars and light trucks.
"Partnering with the right engineering, procurement and construction team represents a key milestone in the execution of this valuable project. Fluor has proven experience in the petrochemical and energy industries, with significant expertise in the areas of gasification and alcohol synthesis and they have a proven track record of delivering on energy projects," said E. James Macias, Fulcrum's President and Chief Executive Officer.
"Fulcrum has developed a creative and innovative approach to the production of advanced biofuels, and we are excited to be a part of this groundbreaking project," said Jose Bustamante, Vice President of Fluor's Chemicals Business Line.
The project will be one of the Nation's first large-scale facilities capable of transforming everyday trash into a clean, renewable transportation fuel, and is expected to enter operations in 2012.
Located approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of Reno, Nevada, Sierra BioFuels will convert approximately 90,000 tons (81,600 tonnes) of post- sorted MSW - the amount of trash produced by a city with a population of approximately 165,000 - into 10.5 million gallons (40 million litres) of ethanol annually, meeting the demand for ethanol in the Reno market.
Utilizing MSW as a feedstock, Sierra BioFuels will produce cellulosic ethanol which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 75% on a lifecycle basis when compared to traditional gasoline production from oil.
With long-term feedstock contracts in place, Fulcrum said that it is advancing development on additional projects across the U.S. that will have the capacity to produce 1 billion gallons (3.8 billion litres) of ethanol annually.
Pleasanton, California, based Fulcrum BioEnergy said that it is on track to become one of the first companies to commercially produce cellulosic ethanol from MSW, creating a reliable domestic source of renewable fuel, reducing the Nation's dependence on foreign oil, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and relieving the pressure on existing and future landfills.
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