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The members of the National Bioenergy Center are conducting analyses of the best potential options for
large-scale commodity production of chemical intermediates or building blocks that can be produced
from biomass processing platforms. Work in FY03 and 04 will focus on sugars and syngas. Future work
will include the potential to produce products from other platforms. In addition, there are technical barriers
to producing these intermediates from biomass feedstock components and to converting these intermediates into
large suites of secondary chemicals. The most critical of these barriers will be identified by analyzing
the various potential processing steps and characterizing their common importance in the overall conversion
of biomass components to products.
Biorefinery R&D
The work is focused around evaluating plant-derived oils, oleochemicals, and other oil sources
as a platform for the program. The questions that need to be addressed are as follows:
- Can oils and fats fit the platform paradigm?
- Can oils and fats fit the biorefinery paradigm?
- What are the barriers to expanding oleochemical biorefineries?
- Where should DOE invest its R&D to have the largest impact on displacing petroleum by 2020?
- What is the content of the research program that would achieve this goal?
- What are the program costs?
- When are the benefits expected to occur?
- Who are the program researchers?
- What is the industry role?
- What is the impact of government policy?
Analysis of these questions and recommendations to DOE will be made in two phases. Phase I, concluding
in fY03, will attempt to address items 1 and 2 and part of 3. FY04 work will complete the project and provide input
on the other questions.
Utilization of Renewable Diesel
The overall objective of this project is to reduce technical barriers that inhibit broader
use of renewable diesel fuels through R&D. Research was performed in the following areas with the intent to
produce data and information that allows viable opportunities for end-users to employ renewable diesel in
real operation.
- The results of the biodiesel oxidative stability study completed in FY02 will be presented to a
technical review committee. Advice from the committee will be sought with respect to adequacy of
the data for development of an oxidative stability standard for biodiesel.
- Results of the air quality modeling study completed in FY 02 will be presented to EPA and to the
air quality research community. Follow up modeling using newer models and based on EPA comment
and review will be performed.
- Biodiesel produced from soy and yellow grease will be tested in an industry-supplied engine
equipped with EGR to meet the 2004 EPA emission standards.
Contact: Joe Bozell (303) 384-6276
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