US Department of Energy Doles Out USD 20 Million to 10 Algae Biofuel R&D Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) have announced USD 20.2 million (EUR 19.49 million) in funding to 10 university and industry projects that aim to study the development of low-carbon biofuels and bioproducts stemming from algae, seaweed, and other wet waste feedstocks.

The projects will specifically explore how to best convert and store energy from these sources, which have, among their other uses, the potential to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

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“These innovative projects will be essential to building a secure supply chain of biomass resources that can change how we fuel our industries with cleaner, net-zero emission options,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

The projects chosen for funding address bioenergy needs through their focus on two areas of research.

The first is the scalable conversion of seaweed into low-carbon fuels and bioproducts. The second is the conversion of algal biomass for low-carbon agricultural bioproducts. These technologies utilize CO2 emissions from industrial facilities or power plants to grow algae that is generally used in the production of bioproducts for use in agriculture or animal feed.

“By transforming carbon emissions captured from industrial operations and power plants into agricultural products, carbon conversion plays a critical role in the transition to a net-zero economy,” said Brad Crabtree, FECM Assistant Secretary. “Today's investments will help demonstrate carbon conversion technologies that yield products that target to decarbonize sectors of our economy while also providing significant greenhouse gas and environmental benefits over incumbent products.”

Funding recipients that will study the conversion of seaweeds into low-carbon fuels and bioproducts include the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Connecticut.

Those that will receive funding for the conversion of algal biomass into low-carbon agricultural bioproducts include Arizona State University, Auburn University, and Washington State University.

The biggest award, amounting to USD 3 million (EUR 2.9 million), went to Tempe, Arizona-based Arizona State University for its “Advancing Algae for Animal Feed” project, which will use CO2 from natural gas combustion and fermentation to cultivate algae to generate a nutritional animal feed additive.

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