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Sustainability/Ingreenuity
> Overview
> Goal 1 - Reduce Water Usage
> Goal 2 - Increase Sustainable Production*
> Goal 3 - Reduce Greenhouse Gas Intensity*
> Goal 4 - Bioproducts*
*Goals 2-4 currently under development
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Advancing the Sustainability of Biorefining
For more than two decades, POET has had a relentless focus on developing technologies that make ethanol production more efficient. Through Ingreenuity™, POET will build on that history and seek to further lessen the environmental impact of ethanol production.
Fossil fuels are destroying our planet. From the carcinogens and carbon dioxide sources from burning transportation fuels, to the oil spills that result from transportation or the great Pacific garbage patch, our reliance on fossil fuels to power the global economy has come at a steep price. Our world can and must do better. But we will never wean ourselves off of fossil fuels unless we find alternatives. We have to increase conservation and tap into sources of energy that are in harmony with the planet.
Biofuels are the most promising alternative to fossil fuels, but not all biofuels are created equal or have an equal opportunity to make a significant impact. Through Ingreenuity, POET will seek to produce ethanol with the smallest possible environmental footprint in balance with the rest of the triple bottom Line. Specifically we have set or will set goals to improve our existing processes in four primary areas:
- Reduce water usage to 2.33 gallons per gallon of ethanol produced
- Increase sustainable biofuel production (goal under development)
- Reduce greenhouse gas intensity of biorefining (goal under development)
- Create new Bioproducts to displace petroleum-based products (goal under development)

POET is ultimately progressing toward the maximized use of the corn acre by putting every piece of the corn plant to its best use. The stalk will be returned to the field to maintain soil quality. The starch in the kernel along with the cellulose and hemicellulose from the cob, leaves and husks will be fermented into ethanol. The nutritious part of the kernel will be put into the food and feed supply while the rest is put into renewable co-products that can displace those made from petroleum. The lignin from the cob will be used along with other sources of biomass to power the facility. Finally, the ash from the cellulosic process will be used as a natural land application in place of fertilizers made from fossil fuels.
In the future, POET will bring that same emphasis to other sources of biomass. Working with agricultural producers, land-owners and others, POET will explore multiple sources of biomass that can be used for biofuels and power generation in order to provide sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels.
Because ethanol production does not exist in isolation, POET will also work with its numerous science and technology partners as well as its vast network of corn producers to enact a more sustainable value chain. The end goal is more than biofuels and bioproducts that are simply better than those made from petroleum; it's sustainable biofuels and bioproducts that are the best alternative for the planet.
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