Energy Department to fund biomass

The US Energy Department has announced it plans to release US$15 million in funding to develop technologies that are likely to succeed in producing 3700 gal./y of algal biofuel intermediate (or equivalent dry weight basis) on an annualised average basis (not peak or projected) through multiple batch campaigns, or on a semi-continuous or continuous basis, in an outdoor test environment by 2020.

To enable cost competitive algal biofuels and bioproducts, improvements and advancements are needed across the entire algae to biofuels and bioproducts process. Under this funding opportunity, applicants must address one comprehensive topic area with three main priority areas:

• Strain/productivity improvement.
• Improvements in pre-processing technologies (harvesting, dewatering, and extraction and/or equivalent processes).
• Integration of cultivation with pre-processing technologies.

In general, ‘biofuel intermediates’ are biomass-based feedstocks that can replace petroleum-based feedstocks in downstream refining. Biofuel intermediates should be able to be treated as commodities and passed from a producer to a refiner through the supply chain. Biofuel intermediates can be refined into a variety of liquid transportation fuels such as, but not limited to ethanol, renewable diesel, and renewable jet fuel. The average yield target of 3700 gal./yr of intermediate must be achieved under conditions that result in favorable life cycle greenhouse gas reductions and techno-economic analyses.

Adapted from press release by Francesca Brindle

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/18012016/us-energy-department-fund-15-million-for-biomass-biofuel-2172/