Colusa Biomass Energy Corporation (Pink Sheets:CLME) has attracted interest from China for its process to create clean energy, ethanol and industrial grade silica from waste rice straw, the world’s most plentiful agricultural waste. Last week, Colusa Biomass hosted a Chinese delegation made up of ethanol production company executives, county executives and rural economic development officers from western China’s agricultural region.

"These Chinese leaders want to build renewable energy production in their province and the Chinese Government has made it a priority," said Tom Bowers, Colusa Biomass CEO. "These folks live and work in a major agricultural production area in western China that has great rice straw ethanol potential", he said. The Chinese delegation visited Colusa for three days to explore Colusa Biomass’ proprietary technologies to turn waste rice straw into fuel ethanol.

The delegation was in response to Bowers and CBEC Field Operations Manager Rick Nannen visit to China in March. "At this point, we are exploring the prospects of a strategic alliance with a China-based ethanol production company to convert waste rice straw to ethanol and silica sodium oxide for markets in China," said Bowers.