Planting began this week on the world’s largest stand of switchgrass devoted to cellulosic ethanol production.
Located in Guymon, in the state’s Panhandle, the 1,000-acre site is a primary research project of the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center. The site will provide production-scale demonstration fields for cellulosic energy crops, such as switchgrass and forage sorghum, to contribute to Oklahoma’s and the United States’ bioenergy effort.
This switchgrass site will be the first of its size anywhere in the world focused on biomass production. Additional acreage of forage sorghum and switchgrass will be planted near Chickasha (150 acres) and Maysville (150 acres) in central Oklahoma.
“Planting the 1,000 acres of switchgrass in the Panhandle represents another major step in Oklahoma’s continued effort to establish a thriving biofuels industry in our state,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Energy David Fleischaker. “The sites in Guymon, Chickasha and Maysville will provide researchers and scientists with a wealth of knowledge that can be applied to help our state and our country.”
Switchgrass is a perennial grass that is naturally drought resistant and grows on marginal lands. The OBC demonstration fields will provide academia and industry a unique “living laboratory” to understand the production and long-term impact of bioenergy crops, as well as experiment with new production techniques and critical harvest, collection and transport methods. The fields also will serve as a “living classroom” where agricultural producers, policymakers and the general public can see and experience these crops, which will play a key role in the United States’ energy future.
“These fields are vital for the continued development and understanding of dedicated energy crops,” said Michael A. Cawley, president and chief executive officer for the Noble Foundation, which will directly manage the Guymon site.
“This is more than just a research project that ends in the field. We have a market endpoint.”
A cellulosic biorefinery currently being constructed by Abengoa Bioenergy in Hugoton, Kan., will be less than 35 miles from Guymon, and the switchgrass fields in the Panhandle will provide material to this biorefinery. The Abengoa Bioenergy facility is expected to be operational in 2010.
“The value of the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center to the cellulosic ethanol industry cannot be overstated,” said Gerson Santos-Leon, executive vice president, Abengoa Bioenergy New Technologies. “The early and aggressive establishment of 1,000 acres of switchgrass will provide researchers, scientists, agricultural producers and industry –– not only in Oklahoma but across the nation –– with important information that will help establish the emerging cellulosic ethanol industry.”
Revenues received from the sale of biomass will be reinvested in the OBC for additional bioenergy and biofuel research.
This undertaking is made possible through a lease arrangement with Hitch Enterprises, Inc., one of the region’s most renowned agriculture operations. A family-owned and managed agricultural company, Hitch Enterprises has conducted extensive cattle feeding, cattle production, pork production and agricultural operations near Guymon for 119 years.
The Noble Foundation will manage the Guymon and Maysville sites. Oklahoma State University will manage the Chickasha site.
