03/01/07 Iogen`s DEO grant

Canadian based Iogen Corporation could get up to 80 million dollars in US Department of Energy grants to help with the construction of a cellulosic ethanol refinery near Shelley. It is not a guarantee that the plant is going to be built. Iogen's Vice President Jeff Passmore says his company now has to negotiate with DOE. PASSMORE "Why do you need this money and do you need this much? And what its going to be used for and basically come up with all the terms and conditions." Iogen was one two dozen applying for the grant money, only six got awards. Passmore says the grant is validation for the proposed plant that would produce 18 million gallons of ethanol annually by using 700 tons per day of agricultural residue including wheat and barley straw, corn stover and switchgrass as feedstocks. Passmore says this is a big first step, the second would be a loan guarantee from the US government. PASSMORE "Secretary Bodman had talked about possibly having things in place by early in '08 which is a bit slow for us. We appreciate all the support we're getting from Idaho citizens and the Idaho delegation in Congress to try to move that forward a little more rapidly." Iogen has said it would locate its biorefinery in Canada if that government came up with the loan guarantee first. Iogen has already lined up growers in eastern Idaho who would agree to supply the crop residue for the plant. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott