Commercial demonstration facility for ethanol production at Alter NRG’s pilot facility in Madison, PA

Alter NRG and Westinghouse Plasma Corporation (WPC) announced, on April 25, 2008, that the existing Westinghouse Plasma Corporation commercial demonstration facility has been chosen as the site for a cellulosic ethanol commercial demonstration project using Coskata Inc.’s proprietary synthesis gas (syngas) to ethanol conversion technology. Coskata's first facility is called 'Project Lighthouse.' Coskata has partnered with General Motors to develop their technology.

In November, 2009 the construction of Project Lighthouse was complete.  This commercial demonstration facility developed by Coskata Inc. (Coskata) uses the Westinghouse Plasma Corporation's (WPC) gasification solution to turn biomass into ethanol. The facility is in operation and represents a significant milestone in the development of cellulosic ethanol from non-food feedstocks and is expected to lower operating costs compared to current ethanol production.

Coskata's Commercial Demonstration Unit

Key Facts of biomass-to-ethanol:

• Ability to complement corn-to-ethanol with a sustainable biomass– and MSW-to-ethanol conversion process that doesn’t affect the food chain.
• Potential to reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy.
• "Coskata’s process can produce up to 7.7 times more energy than what is used in making the ethanol. Corn-derived ethanol produces approximately 1.3 times the energy required" from Coskata news releases.
• Coskata expects overall operating costs of less than $1 per gallon.

Our Partners
On January 13, 2008 General Motors and Coskata announced a partnership which, they believe, "affordability and efficiently makes ethanol from practically any renewable source, including garbage, old tires and plant waste. According to Argonne National Laboratory, which analyzed Coskata’s process, for every unit of energy used, it generated up to 7.7 times the amount of energy, and it reduces CO2 emissions by up to 84 percent compared with a well-to wheel analysis of gasoline."

We are very excited about what this breakthrough will mean to the viability of biofuels and, more importantly, to our ability to reduce dependence on petroleum.

Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of General Motors

Coskata Web site

Coskata's Press Release - Coskata Unveils Semi-Commercial Feedstock Flexible Ethanol Facility in Madison, PA

Coskata's Press Release - Coskata Inc. Selects Madison, Pa. for Commercial Demonstration Facility to Produce Next-Generation Ethanol