INEOS secures permits for Florida plant

The first U.S. commercial project for bioenergy developer INEOS Bio is on track for completion in 2012, having secured air and wetlands permits, along with other key documentation.

The BioEnergy Center will produce 6 megawatts of electricity and 8 million gallons of third-generation ethanol annually from yard, wood, agricultural, vegetative and possibly construction and demolition wastes, according to Dan Cummings, INEOS Bio vice president of commercial and external affairs. The BioEnergy Center is proposed for Indian River County, Fla., on the site of a former Ocean Spray grape juice plant. The new facility will use existing infrastructure and will operate within the existing footprint of the juice plant.

The company has secured its final air and environmental resource permits from the state of Florida; its wetlands permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact from the U.S. DOE.

That leaves only a few loose ends to tie up before construction can begin, according to Cummings, including finalization of supply contracts, offtake agreements, site preparation and negotiations with the construction firm. “Those are the major, key components,” he said.

The facility will use INEOS Bio’s advanced BioEnergy technology, which features a patented anaerobic fermentation step. The electricity generated will be used on site, but some will be sold to the grid, Cummings said. The project will cost more than $100 million and has received a $50 million grant from the DOE.

Construction of the BioEnergy Center is slated to begin before the end of the year and will create 150 jobs. Once operational, the facility will create 50 jobs.