CNN Money.com
09-21-07
DuPont Partners with Iowa State to Enhance Biofuels Production
New Century Farm to Integrate Growing, Processing Crops for Biofuels and
Biomaterials
DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DuPont today
announced a pledge of $1 million to the Iowa State University (ISU) New Century
Farm, the first research effort in the United States to focus on producing
cellulosic ethanol on the farm. The research efforts also will focus on enhancing
the production, processing and utilization of feedstocks for biofuels and
biomaterials.
"The need for renewable sources of energy requires a dynamic new way of
thinking. The New Century Farm will research the practical things farmers can do
in the future to grow, harvest and store biomass in a sustainable manner," said
Dean Oestreich, DuPont vice president and general manager and president of
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. "We're proud to partner with Iowa State to
create a demonstration farm that will be the first of its kind to integrate both the
growing and processing of biomass into biofuels."
The New Century Farm will include a facility for research in biomass crop
breeding, crop rotation needs and ways to efficiently store and process biomass
material. It also will feature a teaching laboratory for training future scientists and
farmers, and an extension facility to demonstrate the economic, social and
environmental viability of bioenergy.
The funding from DuPont, through its Pioneer Hi-Bred business, will be allocated
from 2008 to 2012.
"Supporting the bioeconomy is one of our highest priorities at Iowa State
University, and the New Century Farm initiative is key to these efforts," ISU
President Gregory Geoffroy said. "We're delighted to have Pioneer partnering
with us in this important initiative."
The New Century Farm will be constructed on the ISU Agricultural Engineering
and Agronomy Research Farm west of Ames, Iowa. Construction is scheduled to
begin this fall, with a completion date for the main bioprocessing facility a year
later.
"We are excited to be working with Pioneer and others to create a facility that will
help address the opportunities and challenges of producing biofuels and
bioproducts from biomass," Wendy Wintersteen, dean of the College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences at ISU, said. "At the New Century Farm, the
opportunity is great to integrate directly into agricultural fields the connections
with harvesting, transportation, storage and processing. The New Century Farm
will not only provide a venue for cutting-edge research, it will also allow us to
train the next generation of scientists in this critical growth area."
DuPont is committed to delivering new technologies to the growing renewable
fuels market, which includes improving biofuels production through improved
seed and crop protection products; developing new technologies to allow
conversion of cellulose to biofuels; and developing next-generation biofuels.
ISU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is committed to using Iowa's
agricultural base to build the state's bioeconomy through application of science to
practical problems, leadership in university biorenewables programs, extension
delivery of research-based information and education, and training of students for
new career opportunities in the bioeconomy. The College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences provides significant leadership and resources for ISU's Office of
Biorenewables Programs to achieve the goals of the universitywide Bioeconomy
Initiative.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University is
building on 150 years of excellence in research and education. The college
educates more than 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students, supports the
research programs of more than 330 faculty members in the college and across
campus, and serves thousands of Iowans statewide through its extension
programs. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers nearly 30 different
undergraduate career paths, from animal science, agronomy and horticulture to
biology, genetics and environmental science, and awards $1 million in
scholarships every year. The college has a 98 percent placement rate, with
graduates on the job or pursuing advanced degrees. Two-thirds begin their
careers in the state of Iowa.
DuPont -- one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 17
years ago -- has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal
footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research
and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth,
specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new
products for key global markets.
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading source of customized
solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With
headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant
genetics in nearly 70 countries.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802,
DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a
better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70
countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for
markets including agriculture and food; building and construction;
communications; and transportation.
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