SunBelt Biofuels to License Freedom Giant Miscanthus
There is another biofuel feedstock entering the mix next spring. SunBelt Biofuels LLC, based in Georgia, has announced that it will sell registered and certified rhizomes of its Freedom Giant Miscanthus to several hundred Southest U.S. licensed growers. This will mark an unusual relationship in that SunBelt has an exclusive licensing agreement with Mississippi State University.
According to a company news statement, the crop was selected after 12 years of research conducted by the university. This non genetically modified feedstock grows well in the Southeast, takes less land, costs less to grow and will provide solid revenue for growers. Studies have shown that the feedstock will produce over 3,000 gallons of ethanol per acre. On average, one acre of corn produces around 450 gallons of ethanol.
SunBelt Biofuels heralds the crops ability to stimulate rural economies citing that farms that grow Freedom Giant Miscanthus will see income rise more than $2 billion above crops that are currently grown. The company also touts the crops ability to gain energy independence for the state of Georgia.
According to SunBelt Biofuels’ CEO Phillip Jennings, Georgia needs to plant 2.4 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus to become energy independent. “In Georgia, we can take 10 percent of our commercial timber land or 24 percent of our crop land, and we would be where we need to be to sustain just this one state.”
Jennings continued, “With 10 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus, Georgia would become the number 7 OPEC fuel producer in the world.”
14 Comments
james wilkes
looks good! but what is the net energy after input to plant, tend and harvest. if income is so great what effect on food prices and yield if farmers start repacing food crops with grass?
del rager
I’m interested in growing miscanthus in texas. We have several thousand acres available. I’m wondering if you can give me any info on available funding for start up costs.
Speedling & Mendel to Commercialize Miscanthus - Domestic Fuel
[...] appears to be the hot feedstock for December. Last week, Sunbelt Biofuels announced that it will be licensing Freedom Giant Miscanthus, and today, Speedling Incorporated and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. announced an agreement to work [...]
larry brooks
im looking for the information on this product—-we are in the process of building a celustic ethonol plant in marshell mo.
Speedling & Mendel to Commercialize Miscanthus
[...] appears to be the hot feedstock for December. Last week, Sunbelt Biofuels announced that it will be licensing Freedom Giant Miscanthus, and today, Speedling Incorporated and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. announced an agreement to work [...]
David Croxton
If anyone is interested in knowing what Miscanthus stock is actually available now , rather than what is aspired, look us up. We are the longest going, and the largest Miscanthus growers in Europe and are operating in the USA with partners.
Promoting Freedom at AG CONNECT Expo - Domestic Fuel
[...] you can follow it on Twitter @GiantMiscanthus. They’ve actually licensed the product which is Freedom Giant Miscanthus that’s being marketed by Sunbelt Biofuels LLC. On the show floor at AG CONNECT Expo last week [...]
Martin PICHON
Does anyone know what is the interest of “Freedom Miscanthus” compared to other miscanthus giganteus cultivars grown in Europe for exemple ?
Craig Patterson
We are licensing growers now for Spring planting. These growers will be receiving rhizomes and planting in early April of this year.
Please contact us for details on the crop, our grower’s program, and on contracts we have negotiated to buy the harvest from our growers.
Most of the giant miscanthus available in the US is the “Illinois variety.” Our variety was developed at Mississippi State University and outperforms other varieties available in both vigor and yield. For a quick comparison, look at http://www.sunbeltbiofuelsllc.com/vigorcomparison.html
David Hughes
I would like to see a copy of your contract, would the purchase of the harvest at the farm or where would it have to be shipped to?
Thomas Strickland
I would like to know more about this grass, cost,return and how it is sold. Thanks.
Dean Tiessen
New Energy Farms is the leading supplier of miscanthus plant material in North America. We are working together with many growers and grower groups developing biomass feedstocks for many local opportunities.
We have invested in all parts of the value chain and have systems in place that can plant this crop for less than $500 US per acre (all costs from land prep, herbicides, plants, etc).
As it relates to genetics and various varieties that are availble in the marketplace there are many companies claiming many things.
What is done on small plots and what is done commerically may be two different things. We have crops within our portfolio in North America growing miscanthus commerically for 4
years. We are growing it to heat our greenhouse operations in Canada.
In Canada we have 14 different commerical varieties under commerical trial, many of them from Europe.
Giganteus is the only variety that has been grown on a large scale for decades, showing long term yeild and sustainablity data. One must be careful. At our site in Tifton GA we have the University of Mississippi clone growning for a year side by side with the clone from Illinois, we see no difference at this time, nor should we. It is very early to determine what variety in Tifton GA will be better for that climate.
It is being trialed side by side by reseachers at the moment and in coming years should see results.
We advocate growers to trial material from various genetic suppliers. (Growers must be careful not to get into highly restrictive agreements with public genetics)
With different climates(Southern Mississippi compared to Central Illinois) and soil types one will see different results.
Without local yeild data one can only assume. Though miscanthus in most climates will have a distinct advantage over other dedicated biomass crops in yield and quality.
New Energy Farms and their staff with many years of experience, direct our farming partners to the best available proven genetics in the market (in some cases as an example miscanthus will not be the best species and will not be recomended), and ensure they have access to the latest advancements in agronomy and equipment to establish crops with consitant results.
Please look us up and our programs we are currently offering.
rick saunders
would like cost of planting per acre. is it a seed? or do you have to
use pre growin plants
David Robbins
We are a startup company serving markets in various hardiness zones with small plants or rhizomes. We have a JV with the pioneer of Mxg in the EU. Their founder is on our board of directors. Our commercialization process will attract genetic developers to reduce the costs of proliferating Mxg in the USA and internationally. It is a plant grown from tc or vegetative stem or root cuttings or a rhizome. Each has it’s advantages, but the adaptive process in the world has not explored our process and conservatism has stymied research in this area until we came on the scene in 2007.
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