WASHINGTON, DC – The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) congratulates Verenium Corporation on the beginning of the commissioning phase and dedication of their newest demonstration-scale ethanol plant in Jennings, Louisiana tomorrow. The new facility will produce 1.4 million gallons of next-generation ethanol per year from agricultural waste left over from sugarcane processing.

“This is an historic moment for the state of Louisiana, the community of Jennings, and the U.S. ethanol industry,” said Bob Dinneen, RFA president. “By realizing the production capacity of both grain-based and cellulosic ethanol, we can meet the presidential and Congressional goals to reduce our foreign oil dependence. By opening the first cellulosic ethanol R&D facility, Louisianans and Verenium are taking a leading role in providing America with a more sustainable alternative to increasingly expensive petroleum. On behalf of the more than 300 member companies of the RFA, I want to congratulate Verenium on taking this important step forward.”

The Verenium facility will be the first demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol production facility in the United States. The pilot facility will further refine technology to convert abundant biomass sources into ethanol, and will use locally-grown sugarcane bagasse in ethanol production.

Currently, 147 ethanol plants nationwide have the capacity to produce 8.5 billion gallons annually. There are 55 ethanol plants under construction and 6 plants undergoing expansions.