Diesel Brewing to Help Oregon Achieve Energy Independence

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Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:05am EDT

Company will Convert Renewable Biomass and Manure into Transportation Fuels
SALEM, Ore.--(Business Wire)--
Diesel Brewing announced the company has launched its initiative to manufacture
cellulosic bio-butanol from Oregon`s ample supplies of biomass and dairy farm
manure. Bio-butanol is a 100% "green" liquid fuel that can be blended into
conventional gasoline or diesel stocks without engine modifications. Compared to
corn-based fuel additives, bio-butanol has many favorable properties.
Bio-butanol burns cleaner, has higher energy content, is substantially less
corrosive, and can be transported utilizing existing fuel pipelines and
containers. 

Butanol is considered "substantially similar" to gasoline for blending purposes
and is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an additive
agent up to 11%. Tests conducted at Argonne National Laboratory have shown that
20% butanol-diesel blends can be successfully used in engines calibrated for
100% diesel fuel. Results showed that butanol mixed with diesel can reduce
harmful vehicle emissions. 

"Our program will begin with a demonstration facility built in Salem by the end
of 2009 which will process a ton-a-day of biomass," says Jeff Raines, CEO of
Diesel Brewing. "Next, we will build and operate a semi-commercial plant in
Eastern Oregon utilizing 10 tons per day (TPD) of non food-based waste products.
Our final phase will consist of installing multiple 100 TPD bio-refineries at
selected locations throughout the Northwest." 

Oregon annually generates more than 20 million tons of renewable biomass, and
produces 2.6 million tons of dairy manure each year. "We don`t want to merely
make electric power from these waste products," explains Raines. "Instead, we
are seeking a more comprehensive solution, one that will produce multiple clean
energy products generated from problematic feedstock materials. These products
will be produced and consumed in the same community, creating a sustainable
energy model." 

The Diesel Brewing biomass to liquid fuel technologies is capable of generating
more than just bio-butanol as a "next generation" fuel. Diesel Brewing`s
cellulosic process starts with a gasifier that transforms wood wastes,
agricultural residues and manure into a hydrogen rich mixture. This synthesis
gas is cleaned and fed into a catalytic reactor and purification system to
generate a suite of alcohols containing butanol, ethanol and methanol. "By
changing the conversion chemistry, we could produce a number of desirable energy
products including biodiesel and Dimethyl Ether (propane) as renewable fuels or
Anhydrous Ammonia for the production of fertilizer," Raines explains. "For now,
we`ll focus on the production of bio-butanol." 

Diesel Brewing has engaged Unitel Technologies based in Mt. Prospect, Illinois,
and Dr. Kevin Witty, Associate Professor at the Institute of Clean and Secure
Energy located in Salt Lake City, Utah as its primary technical program
advisors. Pressure vessel and refractory specialists, C H Murphy Clark-Ullman
Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, has agreed to work with Diesel Brewing for the
fabrication and installation of multiple specialized pressurized vessels. 





Diesel Brewing
Mark Stapleton, President, 503-588-8580
Mark@dieselbrewing.com
www.dieselbrewing.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

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