by Kathy Cisar (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Public-Private Partnership Advances Research That Turns US Biomass Into National Sources of Fuel, Rubber, and Battery Materials -- The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is known for its groundbreaking research in impactful bioenergy technologies and invention of performance-advantaged chemicals and materials. But some of its most exciting success stories happen when those innovations move beyond the lab and into the real world.
A prime example of this technology transfer in action is the collaboration between NREL and Crysalis Biosciences, a leading American manufacturer of next-generation biofuels and biochemicals. Based on research initially funded by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, NREL granted Crysalis commercial licenses to three novel biological technologies to produce bio-based chemicals and fuels, including:
- 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BDO): This technology leverages a modified strain of Zymomonas mobilis to produce 2,3-BDO instead of ethanol, which can be used to produce polymers and butadiene, a key ingredient in bio-derived rubber for tires.
- Carboxylic Acids to Aviation Fuel: This process converts America’s plentiful sources of waste and biomass into carboxylic acids, which can be upgraded to a jet fuel blendstock, serving as an abundant energy source for export and the domestic aviation industry.
- Acetonitrile: This process allows for the production of ultrahigh purity acetonitrile, a high-demand solvent in pharmaceutical manufacturing, as well as other high-performance, high-volume materials like advanced batteries.
The licensing of these three technologies showcases how the NREL/Crysalis partnership can leverage America's plentiful biomass and waste feedstocks—more than 1 billion tons according to a recent DOE study—to drive homegrown production of critical materials and agricultural products the country needs and reduce its reliance on imports.
From Lab Innovation to Market Impact
With these advancements in hand, Crysalis’ R&D facility in Louisville, Colorado, recently produced the world’s first 100% bio-based acetonitrile with the highest purity available on the market. The pathway was scaled up 300 times from NREL’s lab-scale technology.
Crysalis engineer Katherine Noon checks equipment that she helped customize and build in the Louisville facility. Photo by Gregory Cooper, NREL
“I don’t think anyone realized that we could achieve this scale and that the NREL technologies could get out into the world so quickly,” NREL Senior Licensing Executive Eric Payne said. “This project is so amazing; we are lucky to work with such dedicated partners.”
According to Crysalis Chief Technology Officer Eric Karp, the company purchased a shuttered manufacturing space and, in the span of only one-and-a-half years, Crysalis gutted, cleaned, and built out the new facility—often with refurbished equipment customized by their team to realize huge time and cost savings. The resulting Louisville pilot plant is unique in the industry and started producing acetonitrile in February 2025.
“The reactor designs came straight from NREL but were scaled up 300 times,” Karp said. “We built the system with plug-and-play capabilities to use in different ways, by moving and changing equipment around for different processes.”
Crysalis is poised to take this breakthrough development to the next stage with construction of a demonstration-scale manufacturing plant in the St. Louis area. That plant will then aid in the eventual construction of a full-scale bio-acetonitrile manufacturing facility, and the company anticipates commercial availability of the product within a year.
Making More Fuels and Chemicals Here at Home
All three of NREL’s technologies licensed to Crysalis will lead to more resilient supply chains of critical materials and chemicals needed by the U.S. economy.
For example, rubber is a critical strategic material for the United States, and the bio-derived rubber produced by Crysalis via the NREL 2,3-BDO process can fill this need with stateside manufacturing. Many U.S. petroleum refineries also rely on imported crude oil for their operations. NREL’s carboxylic acids-to-fuels technology produces ketones, which can be processed in existing petroleum refineries, thus reducing dependence on imported crude oil.
The left clear sample is the world’s first 100% bio-based acetonitrile that meets oligonucleotide-grade specifications. On the right is aviation fuel blendstock. Photo by Gregory Cooper, NREL
Finally, acetonitrile is a critically important industrial chemical with applications such as solvents for the pharmaceutical industry and batteries. Today’s fast-charging lithium-ion batteries rely on acetonitrile, and, accordingly, the market for this solvent is expected to be strained with increased demand from automotive applications. Ultrapure acetonitrile is also highly sought after by the pharmaceutical industry due to the expansion of oligonucleotide drug synthesis, a process to create short DNA or RNA sequences that target specific genes or proteins to treat or manage diseases. The Crysalis and NREL process will meet these growing demands with domestic resources and technology.
Revitalizing Local Economies by Creating Manufacturing Jobs
For Crysalis, these technologies also represent an opportunity to transform shuttered chemical plants into profitable, next-generation biomanufacturing hubs. In fact, Crysalis specializes in acquiring and retrofitting shuttered industrial assets—such as the St. Louis plant—to produce bio-based chemicals and fuels and to rehire former employees eager to reclaim their jobs.
“In this case, we bought an ethanol plant that had been shuttered since 2019, and we turned it back on within a year,” Karp said. “This is another thing we've learned from our projects—they are important to the community. There were a lot of jobs, and people are willing to come back to them when you reopen the plants. It's amazing.”
Payne agreed: “What Crysalis is doing in St. Louis—in addition to making ethanol and eventually acetonitrile—is creating jobs and rehiring people," he said. "That translates to jobs in Colorado, too—and I’m proud that NREL technology helped enable this.”
A Model for Future Collaborations
The licensing of these technologies represents a success story for industry–government partnerships. Payne emphasized the speed and scale at which these innovations are moving into the market.
“What is special is that it took less than a month from the time we sent Crysalis these three licenses to the time that we signed the paperwork,” Payne said. “It rarely goes that fast, but Crysalis was really motivated, and it's been a great partnership.”
“In the future, we hope to purchase more facilities and do this over and over as our global business model,” Karp said. “Even just one retrofitted plant built from existing infrastructure is having a considerable impact, but if we can start increasing the number of projects down the road, it'll make a substantial difference to the economy.”
As NREL continues to partner with companies like Crysalis, the laboratory’s research is not just advancing science—it is actively shaping the future of an abundant, resilient, and affordable energy industry.
Learn more about NREL’s scale-up and piloting of bioenergy and bioeconomy technologies. READ MORE
Nearly 55,000 articles in our online library!
Use the categories and tags listed below to access the nearly 50,000 articles indexed on this website.
Advanced Biofuels USA Policy Statements and Handouts!
- For Kids: Carbon Cycle Puzzle Page
- Why Ethanol? Why E85?
- Just A Minute 3-5 Minute Educational Videos
- 30/30 Online Presentations
- “Disappearing” Carbon Tax for Non-Renewable Fuels
- What’s the Difference between Biodiesel and Renewable (Green) Diesel? 2020 revision
- How to De-Fossilize Your Fleet: Suggestions for Fleet Managers Working on Sustainability Programs
- New Engine Technologies Could Produce Similar Mileage for All Ethanol Fuel Mixtures
- Action Plan for a Sustainable Advanced Biofuel Economy
- The Interaction of the Clean Air Act, California’s CAA Waiver, Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, Renewable Fuel Standards and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
- Latest Data on Fuel Mileage and GHG Benefits of E30
- What Can I Do?
Donate
DonateARCHIVES
- June 2025
- May 2025
- April 2025
- March 2025
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- June 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- October 2006
- April 2006
- January 2006
- April 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- December 1987
CATEGORIES
- About Us
- Advanced Biofuels Call to Action
- Aviation Fuel/Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
- BioChemicals/Renewable Chemicals
- BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production
- Business News/Analysis
- Cooking Fuel
- Education
- 30/30 Online Presentations
- Competitions, Contests
- Earth Day 2021
- Earth Day 2022
- Earth Day 2023
- Earth Day 2024
- Earth Day 2025
- Executive Training
- Featured Study Programs
- Instagram TikTok Short Videos
- Internships
- Just a Minute
- K-12 Activities
- Mechanics training
- Online Courses
- Podcasts
- Scholarships/Fellowships
- Teacher Resources
- Technical Training
- Technician Training
- University/College Programs
- Events
- Coming Events
- Completed Events
- More Coming Events
- Requests for Speakers, Presentations, Posters
- Requests for Speakers, Presentations, Posters Completed
- Webinars/Online
- Webinars/Online Completed; often available on-demand
- Federal Agency/Executive Branch
- Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Agriculture (USDA)
- Commerce Department
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Congressional Budget Office
- Defense (DOD)
- Air Force
- Army
- DARPA (Defense Advance Research Projects Agency)
- Defense Logistics Agency
- Marines
- Navy
- Education Department
- Energy (DOE)
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
- Federal Reserve System
- Federal Trade Commission
- Food and Drug Administration
- General Services Administration
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Homeland Security
- Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Interior Department
- International Trade Commission
- Joint Office of Energy and Transportation
- Justice (DOJ)
- Labor Department
- National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Research Council
- National Science Foundation
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Overseas Private Investment Corporation
- Patent and Trademark Office
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- State Department
- Surface Transportation Board
- Transportation (DOT)
- Federal Aviation Administration
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin (PHMSA)
- Treasury Department
- U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
- White House
- Federal Legislation
- Federal Litigation
- Federal Regulation
- Feedstocks
- Agriculture/Food Processing Residues nonfield crop
- Alcohol/Ethanol/Isobutanol
- Algae/Other Aquatic Organisms/Seaweed
- Atmosphere
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues
- Forestry/Wood/Residues/Waste
- hydrogen
- Manure
- Methane/Biogas
- methanol/bio-/renewable methanol
- Not Agriculture
- RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin)
- Seawater
- Sugars
- water
- Funding/Financing/Investing
- grants
- Green Jobs
- Green Racing
- Health Concerns/Benefits
- Heating Oil/Fuel
- History of Advanced Biofuels
- Infrastructure
- Aggregation
- Biofuels Engine Design
- Biorefinery/Fuel Production Infrastructure
- Carbon Capture/Storage/Use
- certification
- Deliver Dispense
- Farming/Growing
- Precursors/Biointermediates
- Preprocessing
- Pretreatment
- Terminals Transport Pipelines
- International
- Abu Dhabi
- Afghanistan
- Africa
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antarctica
- Arctic
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Asia
- Asia Pacific
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Caribbean
- Central African Republic
- Central America
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Dubai
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eqypt
- Estonia
- Eswatini/Swaziland
- Ethiopia
- European Union (EU)
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- Gabon
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Global South
- Greece
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Korea
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Latin America
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Middle East
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar/Burma
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Guinea
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Africa
- North America
- North Korea
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Scotland
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South America
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Southeast Asia
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uganda
- UK (United Kingdom)
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates UAE
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Wales
- Zambia
- Zanzibar
- Zimbabwe
- Marine/Boat Bio and Renewable Fuel/MGO/MDO/SMF
- Marketing/Market Forces and Sales
- Opinions
- Organizations
- Original Writing, Opinions Advanced Biofuels USA
- Policy
- Presentations
- Biofuels Digest Conferences
- DOE Conferences
- Bioeconomy 2017
- Bioenergy2015
- Biomass2008
- Biomass2009
- Biomass2010
- Biomass2011
- Biomass2012
- Biomass2013
- Biomass2014
- DOE Project Peer Review
- Other Conferences/Events
- R & D Focus
- Carbon Capture/Storage/Use
- Co-Products
- Feedstock
- Logistics
- Performance
- Process
- Vehicle/Engine/Motor/Aircraft/Boiler
- Yeast
- Railroad/Train/Locomotive Fuel
- Resources
- Books Web Sites etc
- Business
- Definition of Advanced Biofuels
- Find Stuff
- Government Resources
- Scientific Resources
- Technical Resources
- Tools/Decision-Making
- Rocket/Missile Fuel
- Sponsors
- States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawai'i
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Midwest
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Native American tribal nation lands
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Coast
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Sustainability
- Uncategorized
- What You Can Do
tags
© 2008-2023 Copyright Advanced BioFuels USA. All Rights reserved.
Comments are closed.