DOE funding five advanced biofuels and bioproducts projects

The U.S. Dept. of Energy is funding five projects aimed at developing advanced biofuels and bioproducts, including two projects aimed at efficiently converting biogas.

October 10, 2014

The United States Department of Energy (DOE)

The Energy Department has announced up to $13.4 million for five projects to develop advanced biofuels and bioproducts that will help drive down the cost of producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from biomass. These products not only will help reduce carbon emissions, but also advance the department's work to enable the production of clean, renewable and cost-competitive drop-in biofuel at $3 per gallon by 2022. The research and development projects, located in Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, Colorado and Georgia, will focus on developing integrated processes for the production of advanced biofuels and chemicals. Two of these selections will address research efforts on the efficient conversion of biogas (a mixture of gases generated from the biological breakdown of organic material) to valuable products other than power.

The University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, will receive up to $3.3 million to develop a process to produce high value chemicals from biomass, which can be used as plasticizers (an additive in certain plastics) and in the production of industrial chemicals and resins.
American Process, Inc. of Atlanta, GA, will receive up to $3.1 million to develop and demonstrate processes to upgrade cellulosic sugars to solvents in their demonstration facility.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory of Golden, CO, will receive up to $2.5 million to develop a conversion process demonstrating the production of muconic acid from biogas. This acid can be converted into an array of bioproducts, including fuel, plasticizers and lubricants.
Natureworks, LLC of Minnetonka, MN, will receive up to $2.5 million to develop a fermentation process, using biogas and bacteria, for the production of lactic acid. This process could be used for the commercialization of biomethane to fuels.
Vertimass LLC of Irvine, CA, will receive up to $2 million to commercialize technology to convert ethanol into diesel fuel, gasoline and jet fuel blend stocks compatible with the current transportation fuel infrastructure.