Under a new agreement between Chevron Technology Ventures and Mascoma Corp., Chevron will provide various sources of lignocellulosic feedstock to Mascoma
. Mascoma will then convert the feedstock to cellulosic ethanol through its proprietary process, which produces lignin as a byproduct. Mascoma will provide this lignin to CTV for evaluation.

"This is an important moment for us at Mascoma," said Dr. Jim Flatt, president of Mascoma. "The upgrading of our byproduct lignin to high value transportation fuels is an important step in our effort to prove the effectiveness of integrated biorefineries. It has been our goal all along to make our process as integrated and sustainable as possible."

Lignin is a complex chemical compound derived from woody biomass. Mascoma's proprietary Consolidated Bio Processing method breaks down the sugars in the cellulose, converting the biomass into ethanol. As a result, energy-rich lignin is left over.

The project will last for two years, and Mascoma is hopeful that the developed technology may be suitable for a wide variety of feedstocks.

Mascoma, in collaboration with its commercialization subsidiary Frontier Renewable Resources, is in the process of financing its first full-scale ethanol facility in Kinross, Mich., which should open during the first half of 2010.

More info: www.mascoma.com