|
In addition to reducing dependence on foreign oil, fostering a domestic biorefinery industry modeled after petrochemical refineries is a primary objective of the Biomass Program. Existing industries such as wet-mill corn processing and pulp and paper mills fit the multiple-products-from-biomass definition of a biorefinery, but the goal is to foster new industries converting lignocellulosic biomass into a wide range of products, including ones that would otherwise be made from petrochemicals. As with petrochemical refineries, the vision is that the biorefinery would produce both high-volume liquid transportation fuel (meeting national energy needs) and high-value chemicals or products (enhancing operation economics).
Sugar Platform Biorefineries would likely break biomass down into different types of component sugars for fermentation or other biological processing into various fuels and chemicals. Thermochemical biorefineries would likely convert biomass to synthesis gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) or pyrolysis oil, the various components of which could be directly used as fuel or converted to other fuels and chemicals by chemical catalysis.
|
){kind=small}
