Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $80m for Advanced Biofuels Research and Fueling Infrastructure
US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced nearly $80 million today under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for advanced biofuels research and fueling infrastructure to help support the development of renewable fuels for the transportation sector. The recipients of the awards are two biofuels consortia selected to research algae-based and advanced biofuels.
The investment is designed to spur the creation of a domestic biofuels industry to help meet increasing demand while reducing US dependence on foreign oil supplies. The groups will seek to break down some of the critical barriers preventing the commercialization of algae-based and other advanced biofuels. Collectively, these consortia will be matched by private and non-federal cost-share funds of more than $19 million for total project investments of over $97 million.
National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB) ($44 million)
Goal: develop and demonstrate the science and technology necessary to significantly increase production of algal biomass and lipids, efficiently harvest and extract algae and algal products, and establish valuable certified co-products that scale with renewable fuel production.
National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC) (up to $33.8 million)
Goal: conduct cutting-edge research to develop infrastructure compatible, biomass-based hydrocarbon fuels
More information is available here.
