Three new bio-refineries to pump up Louisiana's energy sector

Energy production in Louisiana got a boost when Cool Planet Energy Systems recently announced it will invest USD168 million to build three bio-refineries in the state.
The modular biomass-to-gasoline refineries will be built in Alexandria, Natchitoches, and a site to be determined.  About 72 new direct jobs will be created as well as 422 indirect jobs. Additionally, 750 construction jobs will be created.  The first will go into Alexandria, and is expected to be complete by the end of 2014.
The location provides access to an abundance of renewable biomass feedstock, the ability to load fuel onto barges, rail lines and trucks, and excellent local talent to operate the facility.
“For decades, Louisiana’s oil and gas leaders have teamed up with our remarkable work force to pave the way in energy production for our nation and the world,” said Governor Bobby Jindal. “We are now setting the pace for innovative new technologies that harness Louisiana’s renewable energy resources and supply advanced fuels to meet our nation’s energy demands.” 
Cool Planet uses small-scale bio-refineries to economically convert nonfood biomass into high-octane gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel. The company will harvest wood waste and forest by-products to make gasoline at its initial commercial-scale facilities in Louisiana. Each bio-refinery will be capable of producing 10 million gallons of high-octane, low-vapor pressure gasoline for strategic distribution through existing market channels and for blending at Louisiana refineries. The fuel will be compatible for use in existing vehicles on the road today.
The company will also market biochar, a by-product of the refining process that will be used as an agricultural supplement to boost water retention and keep nutrients in the soil, and reduce carbon released from crops. This process makes Cool Planet’s overall production cycle a carbon-negative process, meaning the project will achieve a net reduction of greenhouse gases. 
Additionally, these projects will benefit Louisiana’s timber industry. Cool Planet recently met in Washington, D.C., with both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that the wood residues the company will be using in its first commercial facility will be federally certified as producing a renewable, cellulosic gasoline from the sustainably harvested wood products in Louisiana. These wood residues include the tops of trees, branches, tree bark and tree thinnings.  
Cool Planet’s production plants will be 100 times smaller than a typical oil refinery, but the company’s largely prefabricated systems can be moved near concentrated biomass sources, reducing transportation costs and increasing efficiency. Those savings will enable the company to produce gasoline that is competitive with oil refineries at prices as low as USD50 per barrel while eliminating the need for government fuel credits or subsidies, and enhancing U.S. national security.
The company’s business model calls for developing 400 of the micro-refineries across the U.S. in the next decade.
(August 24, 26, 2013)