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Article: Ethanol: the hard cell: cellulosic ethanol could replace a substantial portion of the US's liquid fuels. But the technology needs support in its infancy, particularly in these straightened times.(News feature)
- Article from:
- Chemistry and Industry
- Article date:
- May 25, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Society of Chemical Industry. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The development of cellulosic ethanol projects is being hit by the global credit crunch and oil price volatility. The timing could not be worse, because now is a critical time for companies to secure funding as they prepare to scale up from demonstration plants to commercial scale biorefineries.
But the news is not all negative. In the US, which is leading the development of cellulosic ethanol, the new administration is hugely supportive of renewable fuels and is expected to mandate higher ethanol in petrol. At the same time, in the absence of traditional financing routes, some cellulosic ethanol companies are securing partnerships with large multinationals, ...