By Renewable Energy Focus staff

The loan guarantee is part of the USDA 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program and follows an award of up to US$50m from the US Department of Energy (DoE), announced in late 2009 for the waste-to-energy facility.

“USDA financing for our Mississippi plant demonstrates the confidence in Enerkem as a company equipped to drive the waste-to-biofuels movement across North America and beyond,” says Vincent Chornet, Enerkem’s President and CEO.

Enerkem’s biorefinery operation in Mississippi – a 300 ton-per-day facility located on the Three Rivers landfill site – will initially produce 10 million gallons of ethanol annually from sorted municipal solid waste.

The project is expected to create more than 70 permanent jobs.