As the largest ethanol producer in the United States and in the world, POET is committed to meeting the ambitious targets of the Renewable Fuels Standard through the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol.  Project LIBERTY will transform POET Biorefining – Emmetsburg from a strictly grain-to-ethanol plant to include ethanol from cellulose or biomass.  Once complete, the facility will produce 125 million gallons of ethanol per year.
Following a successful start-up in the fourth quarter of 2008, POET Research Center in Scotland, S.D. is now producing cellulosic ethanol at a pilot scale, completing a crucial step toward development of commercially viable cellulosic ethanol.  The Scotland plant is producing ethanol at a rate of 20,000 gallons per year using corn cobs as feedstock. The $8 million endeavor is a precursor to the $200 million Project LIBERTY that will begin production in 2011.