he article SunOpta (2007) reported that on Dec. 21st, 2006, SunOpta __ announced a partnership with Greenfield Ethanol. Each company has 50% ownership (Cellulosic ethanol, 2007). SunOpta stated that the deal will include the construction of large scale plants that make ethanol from wood chips. The first of these plants will make 10 million gallons cellulosic ethanol per year, which is most certainly about as commercial as you can get when it comes to ethanol (Cellulosic ethanol, 2007; Company delivers waste straw to refinery, 2007).
Iogen is a small compared to SunOpta. But, it was the first to sell just over a million gallons of this new form of fuel, so we can give it credit for a lot (Cellulosic ethanol, n.d.). The same article notes that it produces ethanol from wheat, oat, and barley straw. A quick review of the PTO website reveals that these companies, and their competitors, will fight to gain rights to exploit their collective technologies. A group of investors, including the Canadian Government (its primary customer) have invested in it, to bring in about 110 million USD. Even Petro Canada has hopped on the bandwagon as a consumer!
Greenfield Ethanol has an interesting history: it began in 1989 as ‘Commercial Alcohols,’ but, after becoming more and more estranged with ethanol, it changed it's name (Cellulosic ethanol, n.d.) Since then, it has opened numerous plants, in Ontario, and has another one coming soon.
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