ZeaChem sows Oregon partner

ZeaChem Inc. recently announced a partnership with Portland-based GreenWood Resources Inc. that would help the cellulosic ethanol producer bring its first gallons of fuel to market. ZeaChem is plotting a biorefinery at GreenWood Resources’ tree farm near Boardman, Ore., that once completed, would produce about 1 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol a year, according to ZeaChem CEO Jim Imbler.

Backed by venture capitalists Mohr Davidow Ventures and Firelake Capital, Imbler says ZeaChem sees huge potential in the fast-growing poplar tree. The company plans to convert “hog feed,” or the leaves and branches left behind after trees are harvested, into ethanol.

The company, which has offices in Lakewood and a pilot plant in Menlo Park, Calif., was founded by two former Molsen Coors Brewing Co. (NYSE: TAP) chemical engineers who claim their technology can produce 50 percent more ethanol per ton of feed than competing technologies. The company plans to begin construction on its Boardman ethanol plant by the end of 2008.