Fueling the Low-Carbon Economy

Cellulosic ethanol represents a multi-billion-dollar worldwide market. …and it's just getting started.

Spurred in part by U.S. government incentives, such as the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), demand for cellulosic ethanol is projected to grow steadily in coming years. The RFS establishes target volumes of cellulosic biofuels to be blended into the U.S. fuel stock—calling for 16 billion gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol to be blended into the fuel supply by 2022. Additional U.S. government incentives make the value proposition for producers even more attractive. Some foreign countries are more progressive, and have implemented even more aggressive mandates.

This worldwide demand for low-cost, advanced biofuels is expected to create a major new global industry focused on sustainable clean energy.

Driving economic growth

According to a recent independent report* that analyzed the projected economic impact of meeting the RFS targets in the U.S., renewable fuels could account for the following economic activity:

• Total job creation, accounting for economic multiplier effects, could reach 123,000 in 2012, rising to 807,000 by 2022.
• Cumulative investment in new processing facilities between 2009 and 2022 could total more than $95 billion.
• Direct economic output from the advanced biofuels industry is projected total $5.5 billion in 2012, rising to $37 billion by 2022.

Qteros is working with leading, global, strategic partners to realize these exciting and important economic opportunities.

* Source: U.S. Economic Impact of Advanced Biofuels Production: Perspectives to 2030, Bio Economic Research Associates, Feb. 2009 (www.bio.org/EconomicImpactAdvancedBiofuels.pdf)