Growing Independence
 Harvesting Miscanthus (Click to Enlarge) |
In the same manner in which the oil industry established itself over 100 years ago, Aloterra is establishing biomass refineries in and around its "biomass reserves" in order to provide stable, consistent, and sustainable supplies of biomass for conversion to higher value products. From unique fiber based materials, to sustainable pulp and packaging, to the next generation of liquid fuels, biomass can and will revolutionize how we live our daily lives.
In 2012, Aloterra and its partners planted over 18,000 acres of dedicated biomass crops in four separate areas of the U.S. Miscanthus giganteus is our crop of choice due to its high yields, low nutrient requirements, wide growing area, and non-invasive characteristics. As a vertically integrated company, we have greatly reduced the historically high cost of planting miscanthus due to our establishment of thousands of "seed" acres and the custom manufacturing of mechanized planting equipment that significantly increases the rate at which miscanthus can be established. We are working directly with farmers to establish the feedstock and have partnered with several harvesting equipment companies to ensure efficient and cost-effective harvesting and baling of the mature miscanthus (click for video). We are now operating manufacturing facilities in the Midwest producing biobased products. In short, we have proven out the entire supply chain, are making products, and are preparing for significant growth in the near future.