Wood Ethanol Alongside Corn
Summary
Comstock’s technology introduces a new coproduct they’ve dubbed Bioleum that is similar to vegetable oil and suitable for hydrotreating to renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel. In a recent news release, Comstock CEO Corrado De Gasperis summarized the value proposition: “Woody biomass is a dramatically less expensive and available feedstock and delivers substantial higher revenue from significant higher lifecycle carbon gains, when compared to corn.” Known historically as a silver mining company, Comstock Inc. pivoted five years ago to acquiring and deploying decarbonization technologies, says Chad Michael Black, director of business development. Whatever grows the fastest on an acreage.” The company touts its technology’s potential to help with reforestation efforts, make use of forest fire reduction material, and give owners of under-utilized forestlands new income streams. “The fastest way we can do that is to license to like-minded companies that have current logistics and infrastructure in place that have the ability and capital to deploy these units as rapidly as they see fit.” New biointermediate rules in the Renewable Fuels Standard announced last year will potentially make a big difference. There’s 40 facilities being built or expanding for hydrotreating.” That explosion in renewable diesel capacity, and an expected increase in sustainable aviation fuel production, is putting pressure on lipid feedstocks, evidenced by the doubling of prices for fats, oils and greases.