University of California researchers receive $1.3m award to develop biofuels from waste plants

Two US researchers have received an over $1 million award from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will fund research on developing commercially-viable processes to create biofuels and chemicals from waste plant materials.

The nearly $1.3 million ($1.14m) award was given to Charles Wyman, distinguished professor in chemical and environmental engineering, and Charles Cai, research engineer, both at the University of California’s Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering (UCR).

It will support a project that aims to convert poplar wood into ethanol and polyurethanes based on novel platforms for pre-treatment and lignin polymer synthesis.

The patented method used by the Wyman/Cai team, called co-solvent enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation (CELF), was developed as a versatile and efficient way to convert raw agricultural and forestry residues and other plant matter into both biofuels and chemicals.

Partnering with the University of Tennessee Knoxville and MG Fuels, the UCR project aims to bring industry closer to producing fuels and chemicals from biomass at high enough yields and low enough costs to become a viable alternative or replacement for petroleum-based fuels and chemicals.

The current research project is expected to increase revenue for bio-refineries and offset pretreatment costs to improve overall process economics.

‘Novel technology’

“This project takes advantage of the unique ability of our novel CELF technology to effectively fractionate lignin from low-cost non-food sources of cellulosic biomass, such as agricultural and forestry residues, for conversion into polyurethanes that increase revenues for biorefineries while also enhancing ethanol yields,” Wyman said.

Wyman leads a team of researchers at UCR who are advancing technologies for conversion of cellulosic biomass into sustainable transportation fuels.

UCR is one of seven institutions selected to receive a share of the $10 million joint investment by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) towards research that will drive more efficient biofuels production and agricultural feedstock improvements.

The awards were made through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint programme run by NIFA and DOE to develop economically and environmentally sustainable sources of biomass and increase the availability of renewable fuels and bio-based products.

The USDA funded projects include those at the UCR, the University of Montana, Dartmouth College, State University of New York, and North Carolina Biotechnology Center, with the DOE providing funding to projects by Ohio State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.