Alpena, MI 49707
United States
Latitude: 45.06168
Longitude: -83.43275
Besides AVAP, the company is also working on Green Power+, which is a biomass extraction process. There are plans to start construction on a prototype biorefinery in Alpena, Mich., sometime later this year. âIn AVAP, there can still be production of pulp,â Belling told EPM, âand in Green Power+ the remainder of the wood is used for energy in a biomass boiler.â
According to the companyâs Web site, Green Power+ utilizes a module in front of the biomass boiler to use steam to extract hydrolyzate as well as an ethanol extraction module. Solids that have had water removed are then returned to the biomass boiler. âThe process significantly increases overall profitability by converting low BTU hemicelluloses into high value ethanol,â the Web site says.
The process allows for cost-effective production of cellulosic ethanol at 10 MMgy to 20 MMgy at the cost of $1 per gallon. The technology can be utilized by the pulp and paper industry as well as by any industry using biomass boilers to produce power.