Vercipia Biofuels, a joint venture of BP and Verenium Corp., is planning a 275,000-sq-ft cellulosic ethanol plant capable of producing 36 million gallons per year in Highlands County.

The plant will convert the sugars in energy cane feedstock into ethanol. Vercipia has contracted with Lykes Bros. to provide the energy cane feedstock and will site the plant in the middle of 20,000 acres east of Brighton, where Lykes grows the cane.