Coskata aims to set up Australian plant

Chicago-based biofuel group Coskata confirmed it is searching for a partner to set up a multi million-dollar ethanol conversion plant in Victoria, Australia, capable of producing up to 200 million liters of the fuel annually. Holden Australia announced that in 2010 it would start selling “flex-fuel” cars that can run on any combination of ethanol and gasoline up to E85 to help the country reduce its dependence on oil. Holden’s parent company, U.S. car giant General Motors, is a major investor in Coskata. Coskata Chief Operating Officer Wes Bolsen said the company was searching Australia for sources of waste material, such as food and garden scraps gathered from household waste collections, wheat and barley straw, plastics and worn-out tires which would serve as feedstock for the plant. (December 12, 2008)