Jer, The BFRE process works in a sequence: First, the concentrated acid hydrolysis process turns the waste material into Sucrose, which is a form of sugar. After that is collected, they have the choice of using that as raw material for one of several possible final products, the one BFRE has selected being ethanol.
In the case of their deal with Caltex GS in S.Korea, they only wanted the sucrose to be made by the BFRE process, and then Caltex will use their own production equipment and processes to make their own final product(s). BFRE started an LLC subsidiary company to make just the sucrose, which they call SucreSource, LLC.
Unfortunately, I have been unable to find out where Caltex stands on that deal with BFRE, as BFRE has not released any recent info since the deal was made several years ago.
The Fukton, MS project, as far as I know is dead now, since they have been unable to raise the additional $30M to complete its funding( Chinese EXIM Bank had agreed to lend $270M, but they needed $300M to complete, hire people, and startup the plant. The US DOE had originally made a grant to BFRE for starting this plant, and there was at least another $30M available on that grant, but before BFRE was given the last portion of it, the DOE reneged on the remaining grant money originally offered to BFRE.
I am still waiting for answers too, but for now, it does not look good for BFRE's future. I am highly disappointed, as I truly think their unique process would operate faster and more economically than other cellulosic ethanol producers who use enzymes instead of acid, and who are really struggling with the economics of their operating plants.
