Cummings Congratulates Baltimore Business

Cummings Congratulates Baltimore Business

W.R. Grace receives multi-million dollar Department of Energy grant.

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) today congratulated W.R. Grace  and Company, which has offices in Howard County and Baltimore, for securing a grant from the United States Department of Energy, to help create thermochemical conversion catalysts and processes that will produce gasoline, diesel and/or jet fuel from biomass.

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced the investments of up to $16.5 million for two major research and development initiatives that will support the expansion of renewable transportation fuels production.

Grace & Company will operate one of four projects, which total $12 million in investment over three years, to advance technologies for the thermochemical conversion of biomass into advanced biofuels that are compatible with existing fueling infrastructure.

“Our future economy will be built on new technology,” said Cummings. “It gives me great pride to know that Baltimore is now one of the incubators of that innovation transition that will help lead this nation back to both the economic and technological forefront. I am excited for W.R. Grace and Company, and I will be anxiously awaiting the results of their work.”

Grace & Company will receive up to $3.3 million to create new technology for processing bio-oils to produce gasoline, diesel and jet fuels. This project will evaluate a specialized catalytic reactor designed to resist corrosion and extend catalyst life. These reactors have not yet been evaluated for use with renewable feedstocks such as pyrolysis oils. Grace & Company will demonstrate the use of a single catalyst charge and reactor apparatus for more than 1000 operating hours to evaluate and improve the performance and lifetimes of pyrolysis catalysts and reactors.

These biomass R&D initiatives continue to strengthen Department of Energy efforts to accelerate development and deployment of sustainable, renewable biofuels in order to significantly reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

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