PRESS RELEASE: Bluefire Ethanol Receives $3.8 Million Reimbursement from Department Of Energy
Revised DOE Contract Allows For Reimbursement That Will Further Aide Plant Development
IRVINE, CA (November 5, 2009) – BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. (OTC BB:BFRE.OB), a company focused on changing the world’s transportation fuel paradigm through the production of ethanol from non-food cellulosic wastes, has received a $3.8 million reimbursement from the Department of Energy to be used for pre-construction activities for its second planned biorefinery, which will be located in Fulton, Mississippi.
BlueFire is currently receiving funding under the $40 million DOE grant it was awarded in 2007 for the development of the Mississippi plant. The $3.8 million reimbursement was issued to cover costs spent on the basic engineering design that is directly correlated to the development of BlueFire’s Fulton, Miss. plant.
“This reimbursement provides additional cash flow for pre-construction activities including permitting and basic preliminary engineering for our Fulton, Mississippi plant,” said Arnold Klann, chief executive officer at BlueFire Ethanol. “The DOE’s continued financial support coupled with the current administration’s goal to rapidly deploy cellulosic biofuels projects allows BlueFire to bring to fruition its mission of providing non-food-based biofuels to the densely populated locations in the greatest need of fuel.”
BlueFire Ethanol’s facilities will use its commercially-ready, patented and proven Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Technology Process for the profitable conversion of cellulosic waste (“Green Waste”) into cellulosic ethanol. Derived from non-foodstock urban, forestry and agricultural residues, this form of ethanol is a completely renewable and highly-economical alternative to gasoline and other types of ethanol.
The Fulton, Miss. project, BlueFire’s second planned commercial cellulosic ethanol plant, will allow BlueFire to utilize green and wood wastes available in the region as feedstock for the ethanol plant that will be designed to produce approximately 18 million gallons of ethanol per year.
BlueFire has also completed a 20-month licensing process and is currently awaiting the final financing needed to break ground on its shovel-ready, fully permitted ethanol biorefinery in Lancaster, CA. The Lancaster facility will use post-sorted cellulosic wastes diverted from Southern California’s landfills to produce approximately 3.9 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year.
About BlueFire Ethanol Fuels
BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. was established to deploy a commercially ready, patented and proven Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Technology Process for the profitable conversion of cellulosic waste materials (“Green Waste”) to ethanol, a viable alternative to gasoline. BlueFire is the only cellulose-to-ethanol company worldwide with demonstrated production of ethanol from urban trash (post-sorted MSW), rice and wheat straws, wood waste and other agricultural residues.
BlueFire is one of four ethanol companies awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct ethanol production facilities. Unlike remote corn ethanol production plants, BlueFire’s biorefineries will be located near markets with high demand for ethanol. This should dramatically reduce delivery costs and increase biofuel supplies, while providing a unique waste processing technology to help America’s cities better manage the increasing problem of overflowing landfills. For more information, please visit www.BlueFireEthanol.com.
