The US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and the Environmental Protection Agency recently announced $6 million for three advanced biofuel projects. Funded under the Inflation Reduction Act, these efforts promote the development of sustainable biofuels while advancing US leadership in energy innovation and emissions reductions. Funding will improve the performance and decrease the cost of production systems for biofuels in the United States while scaling up their production.
Advancing Sustainable Aviation Fuel Goals
The selected projects focus on the development of biofuel technologies from sustainable biomass and waste feedstocks aligned with DOE’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge. Scaling up biofuel production technologies brings advanced solutions closer to commercial viability.
These will look into the pre-pilot scale-up of integrated biorefinery technologies toward biofuel production that is intended to cut down substantially on greenhouse gases and to contribute to the growing renewable fuels industry toward a clean energy future.
The Three Selected Projects
The following projects were selected to receive funding from the $6 million initiative: Air Company Holdings in Brooklyn, New York, will focus on converting biogenic carbon dioxide into sustainable aviation fuel. Erg Bio Inc. in Dublin, California, will demonstrate its ASPIRE technology, which deconstructs and converts biomass at a pre-pilot scale. Terragia Biofuels in Hanover, New Hampshire, will focus on continuously converting corn stover into ethanol using engineered thermophilic bacteria.
Strengthening US Bioeconomy and Reducing Emissions
Biofuels are renewable liquid fuels from biological sources such as plants, algae, and agricultural waste. These projects aim to boost biofuel production, support the rural economy, enhance US energy independence, and promote cleaner fuels. Projects align with DOE’s 2023 Billion-Ton Report, which estimates that the US can sustainably provide agricultural residues and wet waste for biofuels.
Funding will help to achieve the goals of the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard by reducing emissions and expanding the nation’s renewable fuels sector. Projects also contribute to the goal of reducing US dependence on imported fuels, including transportation fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel.
Also read: US DOE Allocates $6.9 Million to Support Waste-to-Energy Projects
A Strong Future for Biofuels and Clean Energy
These projects are steps in the constant effort to have a low-carbon, sustainable energy future. These projects gear industry with technologies that will ensure meeting renewable-energy goals and make cleaner, more sustainable fuels — including aviation – a reality. With support from DOE and EPA, these projects will be highly instrumental in achieving increased US energy security and sustainability.
