Bioenergy Technologies Office 2019 R&D State of Technology

(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) funds research and development (R&D) on technologies necessary for the deployment and production of costcompetitive bioenergy, primarily biofuels. Results of experimental efforts are periodically compiled and compared with benchmark technology designs to assess overall progress. This report provides a status of those R&D efforts at the end of 2019.

This report first describes the approach for assessing progress followed by specific technology pathway configurations within which progress is charted. Each pathway configuration is described separately and the state of technology progress is presented for the combined pathway as well as for pathway components. Detailed component descriptions reference technology barriers and challenges that are detailed in the appendix. READ MORE

Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations.................................................................................................................... ix
Bioenergy Technologies Office State of Technology – 2019 Research and Development
Status.....................................................................................................................................................1
Technology Pathways Using Dry Feedstocks ..........................................................................................5
Dry Feedstocks Converted via High Temperature and Upgrading................................................................ 5
Dry Feedstocks Converted via Direct Liquefaction and Upgrading Design Case ..................................... 5
Dry Feedstocks Converted via Indirect Liquefaction and Upgrading Design Case.......................... 26
Dry Feedstocks Converted via Low Temperature and Upgrading............................................................... 44
Hydrocarbon Fuels and Coproducts from Dry Feedstocks via 2,3-BDO Intermediate
Design Case...................................................................................................................................... 49
Hydrocarbon Fuels and Coproducts via Mixed-Acids Intermediate Design Case ............................ 60
Technology Pathways Using Wet Feedstocks ............................................................................................. 75
Algae Production................................................................................................................................................. 76
Wet Feedstocks Converted via Low Temperature and Upgrading ............................................................. 81
Wet Feedstocks Converted via High Temperature and Upgrading............................................................. 96
Algal Hydrothermal Liquefaction Design Case ..................................................................................... 96
Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction Design Case .............................................................................108
Appendix: Technology Barriers and Challenges.................................................................................122
Overall Barriers and Challenges......................................................................................................122
Feedstock Supply and Logistics R&D Barriers and Challenges.............................................123
Advanced Algal Systems R&D Barriers and Challenges...........................................................125
Conversion R&D Barriers and Challenges....................................................................................127
Advanced Development and Optimization R&D Barriers and Challenges..........................131
Analysis and Sustainability Barriers and Challenges ................................................................133
Bibliography............................................................................................................................................135