Farmers gathered in a corn field near Emmetsburg, Iowa on November 3rd to see the newest technology for collecting and transporting corn cobs—an important step in POET’s plan to produce cellulosic ethanol from biomass.
At POET’s Project LIBERTY Field Day, 16 companies showcased equipment to help make the process of harvesting cobs and residue quick, easy and profitable. At the same time, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy talked with farmers about money to help procure equipment and matching payments for biomass.
Project LIBERTY is POET’s planned 25-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg. The company is going to start collecting and storing corn cobs in 2010 and plans to begin cellulosic ethanol production at the Emmetsburg plant in late 2011.
Brownfield’s Ken Anderson talked with Scott Weishaar, vice-president of commercial development for POET.
AUDIO: Scott Weishaar (4 min MP3)
Farmer Jim Stillman of Emmetsburg says he’s very interested in working with POET on the project.
AUDIO: Jim Stillman (1 min MP3)
Ken spoke to representatives of John Deere and Case IH about the cob-harvesting equipment they are developing.
AUDIO: John Deere and Case IH reps (7 min MP3)
Ken also talked to POET CEO Jeff Broin about the project and the state of the ethanol industry.
Among those addressing the group was Jonathan Coppess, administrator of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, who talked about the Biomass Crop Assistance Program.
Also on hand was General Wesley Clark, who serves as co-chair of the ethanol lobbying group Growth Energy.
AUDIO: Wesley Clark (13 min MP3)
Latest: 
