Patent ID: 8426161

Claim:
A distributed production method for producing sugar water and ethanol, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a feedstock comprising cellulose, hemicellulose, and/or lignocellulose to each of a plurality of portable feedstock processing plants each of which is located at or near a feedstock providing site; b) processing the cellulose, hemicellulose, and/or lignocellulose of the feedstock at the plurality of portable feedstock processing plants to produce a sugar water and one or more byproducts, wherein the processing comprises mechanical destruction, pretreatment, and/or enzymatic hydrolysis; c) separating the sugar water produced from the cellulose, hemicellulose, and/or lignocellulose from the one or more byproducts at the plurality of portable feedstock processing plants; d) concentrating the separated sugar water at the plurality of portable feedstock processing plants; e) transporting the concentrated sugar water from the plurality of portable feedstock processing plants to a centralized ethanol producing plant; and f) producing ethanol from the transported sugar water at the centralized ethanol producing plant.