Department of Energy Announces 36 Projects for Bioenergy Research and Development
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of 36 projects totaling $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development (R&D). This R&D will enable cost-competitive, drop-in renewable hydrocarbon fuels, bio-based products, and power from non-food biomass and waste feedstocks. This work supports the Department of Energy’s (DOE) goal of reducing the cost of bio-based drop-in fuels to $3/gallon by 2022 to continue to provide consumers with affordable, reliable transportation energy choices.
“The selections announced today highlight some of the most innovative and advanced bioenergy technologies that have the potential to produce new sources of reliable and affordable energy for American families and businesses,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Perry. “Developing all of our domestic energy resources is critical to keeping our nation prosperous and secure.”
Today’s selections stem from four funding opportunities:
- BioEnergy Engineering for Products Synthesis (up to $28 million): 16 selectees will create highly efficient conversion processes to increase the affordability of fuels from biomass and waste feedstocks by improving catalysts and new biological systems, identifying ways to better utilize waste streams like carbon dioxide (CO2) and biosolids, and creating high-value co-products that can improve the economic viability of biofuels production.
- Efficient Carbon Utilization in Algal Systems (up to $15 million): 7 selections will improve the efficiency of carbon utilization and productivity of algal systems either through improving uptake and conversion of waste CO2 emissions—such as from a power plant or industrial facilities—or through the development of new, affordable technologies to capture CO2 directly from ambient air to enhance algal growth.
- Process Development for Advanced Biofuels and Biopower (up to $22 million): 10 selections will research integrated processes for the production of biopower from biosolids and cost-competitive, renewable drop-in biofuels and bioproducts from domestic biomass feedstocks and waste resources.
- Affordable and Sustainable Energy Crops (up to $15 million): 3 selections will conduct early-stage R&D related to the production of affordable and sustainable non-food dedicated energy crops that can be used as feedstocks for the production of biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower.
To learn more about the projects selected today and DOE’s work with industry, academia, and national laboratories, visit the Bioenergy Technologies Office website.
Topic Area 1: ChemCatBio Industry Partnerships | |||
University of South Florida | Tampa, FL | Intensified biogas conversion to value-added fuels and chemicals | $1,836,459 |
Topic Area 4: Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet Organic Waste Streams | |||
Visolis | Berkeley, CA | Integrated Biorefinery for Chemicals and Fuels Production from Waste Biomass | $1,999,333 |
Xylome Corporation | Madison, WI | Biodiesel and higher value products from stillage fiber | $1,040,426 |
North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC | Catalytic Upgrading of Carbohydrates in Waste Streams to Hydrocarbons | $2,475,807 |
Topic Area 6: Lignin Valorization | |||
Clemson University | Clemson, SC | Lignin Fractionation and Valorization: Focusing on both Value and Quality | $1,795,216 |
Spero Energy, Inc. | Thousand Oaks, CA | SPERLU Selective Process for Efficient Removal of Lignin and Upgrading | $1,613,457 |
Efficient Carbon Utilization in Algal Systems |
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Topic Area 1: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Utilization Improvement | |||
Colorado State University | Fort Collins, CO | Integrating an Industrial Source and Commercial Algae Farm with Innovative CO2 Transfer Membrane and Improved Strain Technologies | $2,145,600 |
Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ | Multi-pronged Approach of Improved Biological and Physicochemical Systems to Improving Carbon Utilization by Cyanobacterial Cultures | $2,500,000 |
Global Algae Innovations | San Diego, CA | Algae Cultivation from Flue Gas with High CO2 Utilization Efficiency | $2,500,000 |
Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ | Membrane Carbonation for 100% Efficient Delivery of Industrial CO2 Gases | $1,992,766 |
Duke University | Durham, NC | Carbon Utilization Efficiency in Marine Algae Biofuel Production Systems Through Loss Minimization and Carbonate Chemistry Modification | $1,511,515 |
Topic Area 2: Direct Air Capture Systems | |||
MicroBio Engineering Inc. | San Luis Obispo, CA | Air Carbon for Algae Production – AirCAP | $2,260,880 |
Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA | Direct Air Capture of CO2 and Delivery to Photobioreactors for Algal Biofuel Production | $1,983,452 |
Process Development for Advanced Biofuels and Biopower |
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Topic Area 1: Drop-in Renewable Jet Fuel Blendstocks | |||
Technology Holding LLC | Salt Lake City, UT | Novel Method for Biomass Conversion to Renewable Jet Fuel Blend | $2,500,000 |
Washington State University | Pullman, WA | Hybrid HEFA-HDCJ Process for the Production of Jet Fuel Blendstocks | $2,762,484 |
Applied Research Associates | Panama City, FL | Drop-in Renewable Jet Fuel from Brown Grease via the Biofuels ISOCONVERSION Process | $2,360,703 |
Gas Technology Institute | Des Plaines, IL | Cool GTL® for the Production of Jet Fuel from Biogas | $2,986,033 |
Topic Area 2: Drop-in Renewable Diesel Fuel Blendstocks | |||
Research Triangle Institute | Durham, NC | Bio-crude Production and Upgrading to Renewable Diesel | $2,500,000 |
LanzaTech, Inc. | Skokie, IL | Ultra-low Sulfur Winterized Diesel | $2,553,924 |
West Biofuels Development LLC | Woodland, CA | Agricultural and Woody Biomass to Diesel Fuel with Bio-oil Intermediate | $2,200,000 |
Affordable and Sustainable Energy Crops |
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL | Next-Generation Feedstocks for the Emerging Bioeconomy | $5,000,000 |
Texas A&M AgriLife Research | College Station, TX | Sustainable Herbaceous Energy Crop Production in the Southeast United States | $4,999,539 |
North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC | Next Generation Miscanthus: Hybrid Performance Evaluation and Enhanced, Sustainable Feedstock Production and Supply in the Southeast U.S. for Biofuels and Bioproducts | $4,627,161 |
DOE invests $80M to accelerate bioenergy R&D, 36 projects picked: the complete details (Biofuels Digest)