The eastern Upper Peninsula is about to get a shot in the arm of job growth and economic development with the long-anticipated opening of the
Frontier Renewable Resources, LLC cellulosic ethanol plant in Kinross. Construction of the $380 million facility is expected to start next year, according to Steve Hicks, CEO of Frontier.
"The company will be the largest of its kind in the world," says Hicks. The plant, which is expected to open in 2013, will produce 40 million gallons of ethanol fuel per year and employ 70 people. An additional 150 people will be employed to build the facility, with another 700 jobs expected from the spinoff of transportation and timber harvesting jobs.
"The community will be forever changed," says Kathy Noel, president of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, whose office is in Kinross. "We feel very fortunate they chose to come here."
The site selected in Kinross Township is just off I-75 but is largely undeveloped. This means that a significant amount of work and money will go into things like widening roads, running water lines, expanding electrical transmission lines, and piping in natural gas.
A project of this magnitude doesn't happen without a little help from investors. Frontier, which is owned by the
Mascoma Corporation of Lebanon, N. H., has a big stake in the project. Frontier has also partnered with the
J.M. Longyear timber company, a name familiar to many folks in the U.P. Hicks says they will also be announcing the addition of another investor by year's end, which will help underwrite construction costs.
The cellulosic material will come mostly from sustainable wood by-products--in this case, hardwood pulp--obtained within a 150-mile radius of Kinross. They believe there is more than enough raw material to meet demand, making Kinross an ideal location for biofuel production.
"It is in the heart of a sustainable wood basket, and it has a skilled and eager workforce." says Kevin Korpsi of Acuitas, LLC, a government consulting firm assisting with the Frontier project. In addition, Frontier is working closely with Lake Superior State University to ensure a good supply of trained workers for the facility.
One of the goals of cellulosic ethanol production is to provide a fuel source for automobiles at a reasonable price that comes from a nonfood source. Using corn for ethanol production drives up the price for food uses. Another is to decrease carbon footprints, to reduce greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
Much of the technical know-how for the production of cellulosic ethanol comes from Mascoma's method of bioprocessing, which makes it possible to produce fuel efficiently from nonfood biomass, such as wood pulp. Engineers at three Michigan universities--Michigan Tech, Michigan State and Lake Superior State--have been assisting in refining this state-of-the-art process. The engineers are also researching the potential of using high-yielding energy crops and other materials in this process.
Cellulosic ethanol can be considered superior to corn ethanol on a number of fronts. It is manufactured from the non-edible portion of plants, including woody biomass, corn stalks and stems. It also takes less energy to produce cellulosic ethanol than corn ethanol. And, there is a 90 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with cellulosic ethanol over corn ethanol production. Compared to fossil fuels, gas emissions are also lower when this type of ethanol is burned for fuel.
"Frontier can produce cellulosic ethanol using very little energy, heat, and water," says Hicks. This is because the bark and lignin of the wood pulp itself can be used for energy to process the ethanol. Minimal natural gas will be needed for production of cellulosic ethanol.
"We believe we're going to be at or a lower price than fuel obtained from corn, with more benefit to the environment and a low carbon footprint," said Hicks. U.P. residents and environmental groups may be concerned about the amount of wood being harvested from our forests. Hicks says they need not worry. He says their wood harvesting practices, which are guided by the 120-year-old company, J.M. Longyear, will be no different than current sustainable practices.
"We don't clear cut and we will harvest less than growth," says Hicks. "We're very confident of our practices--our wood resources will continue to grow." The operation also meets global certification requirements for sustainability.
"Cellulosic material is an underutilized natural resource that is also renewable," adds Korpsi.
The production of fuel by Michiganders won't stop in Kinross. The liquid ethanol will be sent to the Lower Peninsula to be blended in Michigan refineries, then distributed to stations that have E85 pumps.
One day, we may find ourselves powering our cars and trucks from a fuel source that is clean and produced right here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Frontier and its partners are betting that day will come sooner rather than later.
Neil Moran is a full-time copywriter and owner of Haylake Business Communications, based in Sault Ste. Marie. You can view his services and read more of his articles via his website.