Northwest Bioproducts Research Institute

Four major Northwest research organizations are bringing together industry, processors, growers, universities and federal laboratories to develop new methods for converting agricultural and food processing residue and wastes into commercially valuable "bio-based" energy and industrial products. Details: Northwest Bioproducts Research Institute (.pdf, 3.31Mb)

Members of the new Northwest Bioproducts Research Institute include the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash.; DOE's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Washington State University and the University of Idaho, both comprehensive land-grant universities. Each institution will bring its own unique capabilities, staff and facilities to the institute.

Under terms of the agreement the participating universities and federal research laboratories will collaborate to form a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary research and development program. They will examine and develop methods for converting agricultural and food processing residue and wastes into bio-based fuels, power and industrial products, such as chemicals for plastics, solvents and fibers. Industry, processors and growers will be able to use and profit from the institute's products and technologies and, in some cases, will profit from the discoveries through licenses.

Laboratory facilities at the four institutions will be used. The agreement also calls on the consortium to seek public and private support for new research facilities.

The collaborators noted the institute will help to more fully utilize the productivity of American farms, which are already the most productive in the world. It will explore new uses for such field residue as leaves, straw and stover, or discarded culls, hulls, peelings or pulp remaining after processing. Currently the market for such residues is typically livestock feed, which provides a low economic return to the producer. In some cases, food processing and farm residues can become a financial liability if they require disposal.

The institute will create processes and products that are better for the environment. These include using waste streams as raw material - or feedstocks - supplied to processing plants, developing energy efficient processes, and developing a better understanding of the integrated environmental, energy and economic impact of the processes and products that are created.

The four institutions provide a breadth of capabilities for a fully integrated bioproducts industry. Together they bring plant science and biochemistry, production techniques, conversion and processing technologies, and economic and market analysis capabilities. View our flier. (.pdf, 300Kb) To download the flier, right click on the link and select 'Save Target As'.