Rapid advancements in producing cellulosic ethanol and the fuel's promise for the future will be highlighted by POET next week at Ethanol Summit 2009 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

POET Director of Corporate Affairs Doug Berven will be one of four panelists in a plenary session titled "Second Generation Ethanol: Realities and Possibilities" from 2-4 p.m. Monday, June 1 at the Sheraton World Trade Center in Sao Paulo. Joining Berven will be Novozymes CEO Steen Riisgaard, CanaVialis-Monsanto President Ricardo Madureira and BP Biofuels General Manager for Technology Ian Dobson.

POET will produce cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs in 2011 through Project LIBERTY, a $200 million plant to be built in Emmetsburg, Iowa. POET's pilot plant in Scotland, S.D. is already using that process to produce ethanol at a rate of 20,000 gallons per year.

Ethanol Summit 2009 is a platform for in-depth discussions on the present and future of biofuels in Brazil and the world, with special focus on ethanol. The event features specialists, researchers, leading business executives and government officials from around the world. Former President Bill Clinton will be a keynote speaker at the event. The summit takes place June 1-3.

To see a documentary about POET's pilot cellulosic ethanol plant visit http://www.poet.com/cellulosedocumentary.htm. Media outlets are welcome to link to the documentary in online coverage. Photos are also available for publication at http://www.poet.com/news/releases.asp.

About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. The 20-year-old company produces more than 1.54 billion gallons of ethanol annually from 26 production facilities nationwide. POET recently started up a pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which uses corn cobs as feedstock, and will commercialize the process in 2011. For more information, visit www.poet.com.

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