Denmark Opens New Straw-Based Ethanol Plant

The first and largest straw-based ethanol production facility was declared operational yesterday by HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark. The facility will produce 5.4 million litres of ethanol, 13,000 tons of lignin pellets, 11,100 tons of C5 molasses from some 30,000 tons of straw and will employ 30 workers.

The announcement was made in the eve of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Copenhagen in December. Government members will be transported with the summit's official cars, Volvo S80 and S70, which will use as fuel the straw ethanol.

”As host nation Denmark makes an effort to secure a green and climate friendly Conference in December. It also wants to showcase to the conference delegates some of the new technologies that could contribute to solving the climate challenge. 2nd generation bioethanol – ethanol made from waste and residues - is one example on such a new technology," Svend Olling, Foreign Secretary department head said.

The ethanol will be produced by Inbicon. It is hoped to make a car reduce CO2 emission levels by some 85 percent, compared with conventional fuel. The ethanol variant to be used during the summit is the well known E85, made of 85 percent bioethanol and 15 percent petrol.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is therefore happy that it in co-operation with the Partnership for Biofuels it has succeeded in reserving some of the first litres of 2nd generation bioethanol produced in Denmark for the transportation of important guests within Copenhagen during the Conference”, Olling added.