INEOS Bio Facility in Florida Begins Producing Renewable Power

VERO BEACH, Fla., Oct. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today INEOS Bio announced that its joint-venture project, INEOS New Planet BioEnergy (INPB), has reached another milestone and is now producing renewable power using INEOS Bio's feedstock flexible BioEnergy technology. The facility is producing renewable power for the facility and for export to the local community.  At full production, the Center is expected to produce 8 million gallons of advanced cellulosic bioethanol and six megawatts (gross) of renewable power using renewable biomass including yard, vegetative, and agricultural wastes.  After the biogenic material goes through the gasification process, synthesis gas, or syngas is created.  The heat recovered from the hot syngas is fed into a steam turbine and is used to generate renewable electricity. The renewable electricity powers the Center and the excess electricity is expected to power as many as 1,400 homes in the Vero Beach community.

"The production of renewable power is a significant benefit of our technology. The power generated improves the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas savings of the facility while contributing to the base load of renewable electricity for the local community," said Peter Williams, CEO of INEOS Bio and Chairman of INPB. "We look forward to rapidly rolling out this technology globally to provide the benefits of bioethanol and renewable power from waste to local communities."

The Center is the first large-scale project in the United States to receive registrations from the EPA for a facility using non-food vegetative waste materials (vegetative and yard waste) to produce cellulosic ethanol. Construction on the Center was completed in June 2012, and production of advanced cellulosic bioethanol is scheduled to begin in the 4th Quarter. INEOS Bio has plans to run municipal solid waste at the Center after the initial start-up.

The BioEnergy Center created more than 400 direct jobs in construction, engineering and manufacturing during its development and injected more than $25 million directly into the Florida economy. The Center has 60 full-time employees and provides $4 million annually in payroll to the local community. The project sourced over 90 percent of the equipment from U.S. manufacturers creating or retaining jobs in more than 10 states. 

The Center will serve as a reference plant for future INEOS Bio facilities and for companies and cities interested in using the technology for similar facilities.

For more information on licensing the INEOS Bio technology, contact Mark Dietzen or Markus Hesse at [email protected]

Images of the Indian River BioEnergy Center and a detailed discussion of INEOS Bio's BioEnergy technology are available.

Note to Editors

INEOS Bio (http://ineosbio.com) is a BioEnergy company producing advanced biofuels and renewable power from a wide range of low-cost carbon materials. The company's highly innovative technology provides an alternative to waste disposal for communities around the globe. INEOS Bio is one of the global businesses in INEOS. 

INEOS (http://www.ineos.com) is one of the world's leading chemicals companies; a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products.  Comprising 15 businesses, the production network spans 52 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries. The company produces more than 40 million tonnes of petrochemicals. INEOS employs 15,000 people and had sales in 2011 of $42bn. Through its Joint Venture with PetroChina (petroineos) it produces 20 million tons per annum of crude oil refined products (fuels). It also operates joint ventures with BASF, PQ Corp and Total.

New Planet Energy (http://www.newplanetenergy.com) is a project development company engaged in the development and implementation of advanced biofuels and energy projects.

SOURCE INEOS Bio