Perlmutter Announces CD 7 Biofuel ARRA Grant Awards

December 4, 2009

Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) announced two 7th Congressional District companies will receive a total of $48 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act biorefinery grants. Lakewood based ZeaChem Inc. will receive $25 million, and Commerce City based Clearfuels Technology Inc. will receive $23 million. These are two out of 19 grants announced today by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to accelerate the construction and operation of pilot, demonstration, and commercial scale facilities.

“Congratulations to the talented staff at ZeaChem and Clearfuels on these Recovery Act grant awards. This cutting edge technology to produce cellulosic biofuels create jobs here in Colorado and Oregon and will pave the way to the next generation of transportation fuels. Promoting cellulosic biofuel production will help wean us from foreign sources of oil, create jobs and protect the environment,” stated Perlmutter.

ZeaChem Inc. will use hybrid poplar trees to produce fuel-grade ethanol using hybrid technology. Additional feedstocks such as agricultural residues and energy crops will also be evaluated in the biorefinery pilot project. The company is headquartered in Lakewood, but its first biorefinery is proposed to be constructed in Oregon.

Clearfuels Technology Inc. will produce renewable diesel and jet fuel from woody biomass.

Click here for more information about this round of DOE grants.