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DOE to issue funding opportunity for integrated biorefinery optimization

DOE to issue funding opportunity for integrated biorefinery optimization

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a funding opportunity announcement (DE-FOA-0001689) entitled, “Integrated Biorefinery Optimization.”

This FOA will support research and development to increase the performance efficiencies of biorefineries resulting in continuous operation and production of biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower at prices competitive with fossil-derived equivalents.

This could be accomplished by improvements in ensuring reliable, continuous, robust handling and feeding of solid materials into reactors under various operating conditions; decreased capital and operating expenses by improved separation processes; production of higher-value products from waste or other undervalued streams; and analytical modeling of handling and feeding of solid materials into reactors.

Applications that address these challenging operations and convert woody biomass, agricultural residues, dedicated energy crops, algae, municipal solid waste, sludge from wastewater treatment plants, and wet wastes into biofuels, biochemicals, and bioproducts will be considered under this funding opportunity.

DOE anticipates that the FOA will include the following areas of interest:

  1. Robust, continuous handling of solid materials (dry and wet feedstocks, biosolids, and/or residual solids remaining in the process) and feeding systems to reactors under various operating conditions

  2. High value products from waste and/or other under-valued streams in an integrated biorefinery

  3. Industrial separations within an integrated biorefinery

  4. Analytical modeling of solid materials (dry and wet feedstocks, and/or residual solids remaining in the process) and reactor feeding systems

EERE envisions awarding multiple financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements. The estimated period of performance for each award will be approximately 36 months.

Comments

Trees

The ethanol process plants have shifted to this terminology, "biorefinery". It's an interesting history of process technology within the struggle to be more cost effective. These things are a moving target. As a result the history is not a good benchmark. EPA rating system is outdated as well as energy analysis that require history. These analysis should utilize best in class process plants as that is probably where the industry will be soon headed. As process technology improves, we see a simplification, yield improvements, and more value within the coproduct stream. Sadly those dedicated and expensive cellulosic ethanol plants now need a big overhaul as it appears the common grain ethanol plant are capable of this process with low cost adaptation. DOE has hit a sweet spot to assist this energy sector. It's not solely about fuel anymore. Their is trade offs, compromises, and improvements to be made within changing the product mix. For example, produce more or less ethanol, feed, diesel fuel, chemicals, food, heat, or power. Also, selecting wet or dry grind process or competing cellulosic processes. The powering of the anaerobic digestor plays into this. Much of it depends on the market and what is selling best. The primary need of the processing plant is to flex process to bias production to the most profitable. I noticed my closest processing plant bought a vinegar brand and now produces an premium branded food stock. Exports are gaining in value and these businesses are steadily gaining knowledge how to market and manage this sector.

Dr. Strange Love

The entire bioengineering and pharmaceutical industries are in acceleration mode these days. For example, because of advances in Genetic research and monoclonal techniques too, we are seeing Ever-Increasing numbers of medicines for Cancer, Immunological/Autoimmune deficiencies, etc., etc., etc.. Similar improvements and products are coming to Bio-Food, Bio-Fuel industries as well.

These are really Good days to be in these Bio/Chemical/Process Engineering Fields.

SJC

Make fuels from cellulose then gasify what is left for more.

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