Battelle, WSU to get $1.84M in biomass grants

MARY HOPKIN HERALD STAFF WRITER

Battelle Memorial Institute and Washington State University will receive nearly $1.84 million from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy to conduct biomass research projects.

More than 700 projects were submitted to the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, a joint USDA-DOE effort established in 2000 to develop clean, bio-based technology.

Only 21 projects were chosen.

"We are thrilled," said Don Stevens, Battelle's biomass program manager.

Battelle was awarded a $1 million grant to study catalytic conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals using ionic liquids. Their partner in the project is UOP, a subsidiary of Honeywell, a leading international supplier and licenser of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, process plants and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical and gas processing industries.

John Holladay, Battelle's chemical and biological process chief scientist, said the project will expand on a fundamental concept the group published in the Journal of Science, using ionic liquids to break down simple and complex sugars in woody pulp and crop residue to convert into chemicals and fuels.

While some companies are using that technology to break down pulp to make ethanol, the group at Battelle wants to take the technology further and use it to replace oil-based products, like polymers, that are used in other products.

"There are products that are so much more valuable than fuels," Holladay said.

Wei Liu, Battelle's chief chemical engineer on the project, said since the ionic liquid technology is new, the lab will also study how to do it more economically, so it can be used commercially.

Scientists at WSU in Pullman will receive about $840,000 to study alternative sources of biofuel feedstock, like poplar, canola and other oilseed plants.

James Tinney, WSU media relations director, said Norman Lewis, director of the Institute of Biological Chemistry and associate director of the Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, has developed the joint project with Imperium Renewables, which opened the nation's largest biodiesel refinery in Grays Harbor last year.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced the grant winners Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

"These grants help fund the innovative research needed to develop technologies and systems that lead to the production of bio-based products and biofuels," Schafer said.

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Wednesday, Mar. 05, 2008

Battelle, WSU to get $1.84M in biomass grants

MARY HOPKIN HERALD STAFF WRITER