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Highlands Today

Ethanol Plant To Be Built In Venus

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By Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today

Published: January 23, 2008

United States Envirofuels, a Tampa alternative fuel corporation, has been given a $7 million grant to build an ethanol plant in Venus.

The $47 million plant will use sweet sorghum, which is not a food crop. Sorghum also uses less water and fertilizer than sugar or corn crops and grows rapidly. Supplemental feedstock will also include sugar cane, cane milling byproducts and other sugar crops produced by local growers.

Water used in the production process will be treated and reused and other byproducts will be sold as high- potassium fertilizer.

Site planning and conceptual plant design are done and permitting is about to begin, according to a press release from Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson.

"We believe that awards such as these are critical in triggering the development of a renewable energy industry in Florida," Bronson said. "With the backing of and an investment from the state, we're hopeful that these projects will yield positive results and serve as a catalyst for major commercial investment in this industry."

The proposals were evaluated on their use of Florida-grown crops or biomass to produce energy, their potential to expand agribusiness in the state, preliminary market research and the efficiency of their use of energy and other material resources.

Last spring, the Florida Legislature authorized and Governor Charlie Crist signed into law the "Farm to Fuel" Grants Program to provide matching grants for demonstration, commercialization, and research and development projects involving bio-energy. As part of the program, $25 million was appropriated to stimulate investment in projects that produce renewable energy from Florida-grown crops or biomass.

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