SIUE ethanol plant is closer to reality

SIUE is $3 million closer to building an ethanol research plant in University Park.

The U.S. Senate earmarked the money at the urging of Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

The state has already set aside $6 million for the $20 million project, and the additional money would provide nearly half of the needed funds.

"This is wonderful news," Brian Donnelly, executive director of University Park, said. "It moves us a long way toward funding this very important project, which will benefit the Illinois economy and national energy independence."

Ethanol is a corn-based alternative fuel that burns cleaner and is renewable unlike fossil fuels. Ethanol production could provide an alternative to U.S. dependency on foreign oil supplies.

"Most research for ethanol is in the planning stages, and it would be very expensive to prepare a commercial plant for experimentation," Donnelly said. "This plant will emulate a full-scale commercial production facility at a much lower cost, allowing for the testing of new technologies."

Proponents of ethanol hope that research like this will allow the fuel to have a more competitive chance in the market.

Construction on the pilot plant, which will have 20,000 square feet, will begin sometime next year, but it is not likely to affect the lives of SIUE students, either during or after its construction.

"I think it is, in a sense, an indirect benefit," Donnelly said. "It will bring a world-class research facility to SIUE and will enhance the reputation of the university and benefit everyone associated with it. Little or no revenue will be generated for the university. It is purely a research facility designed to bring new technology to the market more quickly."