Central Ohio Coal Producer Teams With Biotech Company to Launch Biomass Energy Pilot Program

Oxford Resource Partners, LP, a Columbus-based producer of coal for large electric utilities, and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. have announced they will collaborate on a pilot project aimed at demonstrating the feasibility and economic viability of biomass-based energy production from dedicated energy crops. Mendel is the developer of a proprietary genus of high-yielding perennial grass known as Miscanthus that has shown great promise as a sustainable source of renewable energy. Its deep rhizome structure and broad adaptation make it a potentially attractive crop for converting reclaimed mine land to a source of biomass for electricity or liquid transportation fuel. The companies plan to grow Miscanthus varieties on land in eastern Ohio previously reclaimed from Oxford mining operations.

"We are excited to work with Oxford to demonstrate Miscanthus as a viable option for this important energy producing region of the country," said Neal Gutterson, Mendel's president and CEO. "The goal of energy independence provides the spark for innovative companies such as Oxford to find ways to convert marginal or otherwise idle lands to a more sustainable use by employing the latest advancements in genetics and crop technologies."

For more, see the release from Oxford.